Wild World
by Octopus123
Summary: Johnny Cade wants more than humid summers and purple bruises. Dallas Winston only wants liquor, sex, and violence. Elizabeth Carter wants serenity back in her hurricane life. But East-side Tulsa only takes, so they better prepare for the fight of their lives. Dallas/OC
1. Primadonna Girl

1.

The first time the boys laid eyes on her, she was doing a rotten job at parking her car in the driveway two doors down. It was an ugly green machine she was handling, though it could also be described as red, seeing as most of it was rust. The sound of its wheezing and clunking had lured the Curtis brothers, Two-Bit and Steve from the semi-coolness of the house and into the fireball heat.

"Shit," Steve mumbled, sticking his head out the window. "Worst car I ever laid eyes on."

Sodapop, who was standing on the porch with the rest of them, nodded. "And we've seen Two-Bit's car, so that's sayin' something."

"You keep talking like that, and you'll be walking to the DX from now on." Two-Bit retorted with an over-done frown.

Darry folded his thick arms over his chest. "Can you see who's driving?"

His curiosity was soon sated. A woman stumbled out of the car. Clothed in a high-necked, red dress that was hemmed just at the knee, her face was disguised behind giant sunglasses and a wide-rimmed, floppy hat. A Soc, if they had ever seen one.

"Looks like some city-slicker." Ponyboy stated, stepping down the porch steps so he could get a better look. "But what she doing on this side of the tracks?"

"She's gotta be lost." Steve made a show out of smoothing his hair back with his pocket comb. "Maybe I outa' redirect her."

Two-Bit snorted. "If you go up to that broad, the only person you'll be directing is yourself- to the hospital. Look at that fat purse she's holding there. I'd eat my shoe if there ain't a brick stashed beside all her money."

They watched the woman totter up the steps of the house she had pulled up to. It was an old house that hadn't been touched for years. The paint was peeling badly, one of the windows had been smashed in and had been boarded up haphazardly, and the lawn resembled a wheat field. What it looked like inside, no one had a clue. It had been put up for sale briefly when they were children but was never sold. What a rich lady wanted to do with it was a mystery.

Fiddling with a set of keys, she finally managed to shove the door open with the force of her shoulder, disappearing inside. The boys waited in anticipation.

"What do you think she's doing in there?" Steve asked. They couldn't think of any plausible answers.

Then she came back out, not bothering to close the door behind her. Hurrying back to the car to open the passenger door, she ducked in and allowed an arm to snake over her shoulders. When she straightened, an elderly lady was clinging onto her.

"Do you suppose she's here to dump that old grandma for dead in some abandoned house?" Two-bit asked.

Steve readjusted himself on the ledge of the window."You'd think a Soc like that would have enough cash to ditch her in an old-folk's home instead."

The woman swayed unsteadily under human weight as she dragged the both of them back inside. Moments later, she was out once more to let two big dogs out from the backseat. One was a Rottweiler with a massive muzzle and half his right ear chewed off, walking like it weighed a million tons. The other was a breed none of the boys could distinguish. Even from the distance, they could tell this one was in much better shape. It's shiny white coat was cut short to reveal a lean, sprightly body and it's face was clean and friendly. Both dogs took a minute to sniff the air and stretch their legs on the pavement before following their master into the house, who's arms were filled with bags.

"Well holy shit." Two-Bit guffawed, "Those mutts were so big they probably ate the rest of their litter in the womb."

"Guard dogs, by the looks of it." Darry muttered, turning to find cooler air back in the kitchen. If those two women were staying in that house, then he would be relieved. Having some new greaser boy move in and cause trouble in the neighborhood was the last thing he needed.

The rest of the gang wandered back inside after it had been made clear the Soc wasn't going to reappear any time soon. Soda and Steve dropped themselves onto the kitchen table where they had abandoned their card game, Ponyboy slipped back inside his room, Two-Bit parked in front of the television with a beer, and Darry laid himself across the couch for a nap.

"Really though," Sodapop spoke up conversationally, "What's a Soc doing, moving to this side of the town?"

Steve picked up a card, tried to hide his scowl, and placed it in his hand. "Maybe she ran outta money, who knows?"

"Maybe she got kicked outta her big old mansion for cheating on her husband."

They played in silence for a little longer, occasionally making a guess or two on the mysterious new neighbor.

An hour later, Two-Bit repeared into the kitchen. His eyes were ablaze with unbridled excitement. "That's it, I can't take this anymore. I need to find out what that lady's deal is."

"Two-Bit," Sodapop dropped his cards face down on the table. "Just admit you wanna check her out."

"Fine, fine." The boy grinned unabashedly, "Can't blame me for trying to get laid, can you?" He passed the boys and opened the icebox.

"Darry's gunna kill you if you finish all the beer again, ya' know." Sodapop warned him, twisting in his seat. Steve took the opportunity to check out his friend's cards while his back was turned.

Two-Bit took out a chocolate cake with at least three pieces missing. "Do you think this'll work as a housewarming gift?"

"You gunna give her a half eaten cake?"

"Shoot, why not?" Two-Bit paused to steady the treat in his hand, having almost dropped it. "Just need an opportunity to see her face."

The boy charged out of the house. Sodapop and Steve glanced at each other before running after him, calling for Darry and Ponyboy to come along as well. "Were gunna go see this Soc!"

A moment later, the gang was huddled on the pavement, a few inches away from the front gate of the woman's house. The two dogs had come racing over from the backyard the moment Two-Bit's finger had touched the gate latch. The white dog was barking up a storm, jumping so high that they thought it might sink its teeth into one of their faces. The Rottweiler hung back, standing tense and flashing his thick fangs at them.

The old woman came onto the porch, a cane supporting her. "Shut your mouth, Lady, else I'll shut it for you!"

The white dog ceased its ruckus immediately and took a step back, eyeing them wearily. Then they both lost interest and left to sit in the shade by the side of the house.

"You just gunna stand there, or are you going ta' come up here?" The crone gave them an impatient look. "At this pace, I'll be rotting in my grave before you find the courage to come up here."

Sodapop made a low groaning sound in his throat, voicing everyone's thoughts. Suddenly meeting the Soc family didn't seem so exciting.

"Hello ma'am." Two-Bit began, trying hard to be charming. "We're just here-"

"To get a good look at my granddaughter." The old woman finished for him. She dumped herself in an ancient rocking chair that had been on the porch before they arrived, then waved her hand absentmindedly at the screen door. "Don't think I don't know boys your type. She's in there. But don't get your hopes up. She's nothing but obnoxious."

The boys exchanged looks before shuffling awkwardly past the woman and into the house. The interior wasn't as nightmare inducing as they thought it would be. The rooms were small, smelled like mildew, and was bare of any furniture, but it would take very little to spruce the place up.

"Hey strangers." A creamy voice echoed across the room. The woman was leaning on the kitchen doorway to their right, only she wasn't a woman at all but a girl, fifteen or sixteen. Outside, her cosmopolitan outfit and hidden face had made her look years older. But in the cool grey light inside, the mystery and intrigue she held had evaporated. She was small and fresh-faced, and when she walked she looked like she was tempted to skip. Her brunette hair and grey eyes didn't make her particularly gorgeous (disappointing Two-Bit greatly) but she was by no means ugly. Her easy smile and kind, open eyes seemed to enhance her enough to be beautiful in the way all happy people are.

After an awkward pause where the boys took her all in, Darry stuck out his hand and struggled to smile. "Hello there. We're just here to welcome you to the neighborhood. I'm Darryl, these two are my brothers, Sodapop and Ponyboy. Over there is Steve and Keith."

"You can call me Two-Bit." Two-Bit inserted quickly, passing the cake into her hands. "Here's some cake."

"Oh, yum!" The girl seemed truly excited at the sight of it. She even giggled at the missing pieces. "Did you guys get hungry on the way over, or something?" She moved to place it on the kitchen counter. "Well, my name is Elizabeth Carter, but you can just call me Ellie."

Even her name screamed Soc.

"Well, Ellie, what brings you to this side of town?" Steve asked impatiently.

There was a wave of confusion on her face. "Well, um, I moved here from Chicago-"

"Chicago?" Ponyboy repeated excitedly, "Really?"

Ellie nodded just as enthusiastically. "Yeah! But grandma, you met her right? Well she grew up here and wanted to come back."

"It was a hard choice to make." Ellie's grandmother trekked her way slowly into the room, forcing the boys to part for her. "Either I die in that shithole of a city, or I die in this shithole of a city." She turned on the tap and brown water came spewing out. The crone sighed. "But what can I say? I'm just so sentimental."

Ellie seemed to be adept at ignoring her grandmother's sarcasm. She patted the woman affectionately on the back. "Oh granny, you aren't going to die just yet, don't worry." She turned to the boys. "This is Grandma Annabelle. She's really a sweetheart."

The boys spent another twenty minutes making obligatory small talk before they managed to excuse themselves. Even afterwards, they still couldn't understand why Ellie, who seemed to ooze a sense of privilege, could possibly find herself living in greaser territory with a grandmother that didn't have a Soc bone in her body.

"Well holy-moly." Two-Bit lit up a smoke. "I'll give her a week in this place. Not only does she reek of Soc, but she's as soft and nice as a basket of kittens."

"Jeez," Steve rubbed the side of his head, "And does she ever shut up?"

"I'm more concerned about other things." Sodapop said as they reached the house. "Like how were going to have to make a new cake and were all out of flour."

* * *

**This is an updated version of Chapter 1. Nothing has changed much besides a few spelling and grammar corrections.**

**Reviews are still very much appreciated. **


	2. Dustland Fairytale (Beginning)

2.

Elizabeth Carter spent the rest of that night diligently cleaning the house. Her grandmother kept herself sparse, only appearing to demand her room be cleaned first.

"You'll be getting us furniture tomorrow, girl." The woman wobbled on her cane. "And don't cheap out. God knows you have all that money, and you outta get rid of it as soon as possible. And those clothes, as well, girl. This ain't Chicago anymore. You can't wear that kind of shit on this side of the tracks."

Elizabeth just nodded and ignored her grandmother as she muttered her way up the stairs again. She had been confused when those boys had asked her what she was doing on this side of town, but after a few hours of scrubbing the floors and getting dust all over her, she understood. Standing in the bathroom to wash her hands, she looked up to see a metropolitan completely out of her element. Her professionally painted nails had been chipped and dirt had gathered underneath, her dress was ruined by dirty water and a bit of blood when she cut her forearm on a sharp counter corner, and her once styled hair was sitting, deflated on her head. Then she imagined the group of boys in her living room, dust ingrained in their jeans and their hair slick with grease- it was so...rural. But what could she do about it? Nothing, really. She couldn't picture herself clad in anything but funky designs and bright colors.

For dinner they ate the cake. Without any plates or utensils, they were forced to eat it uncut and by pealing little bits off with their hands. Then Ellie made a long list of all the things they needed; beds, toiletries, and kitchenware were the first written. After her grandmother had retired upstairs to sleep in the cocoon of blankets and sleeping bags she had made for herself, Ellie went to let the dogs out to do their business on the block and take more bags from the car. She watched them carefully and made sure they kept in her line of vision. Not because she was scared they'd run off or bite someone, because her father had trained them good and right, but because she knew others would be intimidated if they saw a giant dog stalking down the street. When they came back, she put them in the yard and slid inside the backseat of the car. It was full of dog-hair and cramped, but her grandmother had taken all the blankets and it would be as good as it got for Ellie that night.

She slept fitfully, as she often did since she left Chicago. But when the sun began to rise she got up in the front seat and drove to a diner. Ignoring the fact that she looked a mess, Ellie stalked in with a smile, buying two coffees and and breakfasts to go.

"Coffee don't do well with my bowels." Her grandmother snapped when she came back. "You hurry up and eat that breakfast, then buy our damn furniture. If I have to sleep on the ground again, I'll break my back."  
Ellie could clearly remember herself sleeping in the backseat of their car, but apologized anyway because arguing with the woman always ended up with a quick slap to the back of the head and a string of cusses. She fed half her breakfast to the dogs and got dressed without showering, still distrustful of the quality of water spewing out of their plumbing.

It took her thirty minutes to find a grocery store. Most of the streets she encountered were shabby, some even giving off the appearance of being abandoned. When Ellie had first laid eyes on her own house she was embarrassed at the grimy state it had fallen into, but now she could see it fit in just fine here. Yet, past a set of train tracks, the houses seemed to improve and the streets grew with life. It wasn't like Ellie had never seen the difference between high class and low class before, but in Tulsa the divide seemed as clear as day. You were either poor, or wealthy. What _she_ was, she couldn't tell.

The store she stumbled upon was in the richer side of town. Ellie made quick work of parking her bag-of-bolts between two new cars and grabbing a grocery cart. Having rid herself of her vehicle, she blended in easily with the crowd inside and was greeted with the feel of strong AC breeze, drying the sweat on her neck.

"Now..." Ellie mumbled, suddenly intimidated by the long rows of goods. "Where do I start?"

In truth, she had never gone grocery shopping by herself before. Sure she had gone with her mother dozens of times, but being alone seemed much more daunting. What if she blew all her money on junk food? Or what if her grandmother didn't like what she picked? That was the thing she hated most about up and leaving her family- independence wasn't her strongest trait.

"Well if it ain't the Soc!"

Ellie jumped at the sound of someone shouting across the isle she was in. At the other end, three boys started their way over.

"Oh!" Ellie made sure to smile nice and big at them. "Uh, Sodapop and Ponyboy, right?"

Sodapop nodded and smiled back at her. "You remembered."

She forced herself not to blush. Sodapop was likely one of the most handsome boys she'd ever met. Something about his dirty blonde hair and friendly smile reminded her of the big-city. And though Ponyboy was a few years too young for her tastes, she could see a strong resemblance between the brothers. There was no doubting he'd be as cute, perhaps ever cuter, than Soda.

"Well, you boys do have unforgettable names." She turned to smile at the third boy. He had a tan face and shaggy black hair that was greased up in the way that seemed fashionable here. "Hi, I'm Elizabeth Carter. I'm new here."  
The boy nodded, staring past her face when he introduced himself. "Johnny Cade."

Ellie sensed there was a bit of reluctance in his voice that made Ellie anxious. She looked down with a queasy grin, spotting a sack of flour dangling from Sodapop's hand. "Are you going grocery shopping as well?"

"Nah," Sodapop told her, "Just ran out of flour. We go through this stuff like water through a tap."

"Oh." Ellie felt a little disappointed. She wouldn't have minded some company after spending so long with only her grandmother and dogs. "Well, I'll let you go on then. I've got to grab the whole nine yards. We didn't bring anything to Tulsa with us, so I'm gonna have to buy furniture as well. Do you know any places I could go for that?"

Soda hummed in thought. "Well, there's one on Northway road, just beside that car dealership. Don't know how good the prices are, though."

"That don't matter so much. But... well, how do I get there?"

"From here? Go left on the main road, I think... Then on Harvey, turn right and go straight 'til-"

He noticed the confusion on her face and smiled sheepishly. "Maybe it'll be better if I draw you a map."

"Oh, if it won't be such an inconvenience." Ellie tucked a hair behind her ear. "I'm really bad at directions."

Sodapop looked around the isle and they came to the conclusion that acquiring some paper and a pencil would be impossible at the moment.

"Why don't you just show her?" Ponyboy inserted, "It's only a few minutes away."

Soda shook his head. "I can't. I've gotta be at the DX in half an hour..." A twinkle sparked in his eyes as he looked over at his brother. "But you can go, can't you boys?"

Both of their eyes widened into saucers. Ponyboy shot Sodapop a frustrated look.

Ellie had perked up. "Oh, please? I'll treat you both to lunch afterwards, I promise. Anything you like, too."

Sodapop patted Johnny and Ponyboy on the back roughly. "Well, it's settled. Take good care of her, boys. I'll see you back home tonight."

Ellie watched, slightly confused, as Sodapop sprinted away with laughter bubbling up in his throat. "Is he alright?"

"No." Ponyboy dead-panned. "No, definitely not."

"Uhm, well." Evie plastered on another smile. "You sure you boys don't mind helping me out today?"

They looked at each other and then nodded. "Nah, we'll help."

Johnny and Ponyboy followed her around the grocery store for another hour, chatting on and off. From what she could tell, they were really quiet boys but Ellie made up for it by constantly talking. After that, they took her to the furniture store. She tried to pry their opinions on colours and wood-types, but they didn't budge.

"Who cares if it matches, anyway? It's just to sit on." Ponyboy grumbled, dropping himself into one of the display sofas and getting yelled at the saleswoman for it.

"Yeah, but I want my house to look pretty. I can't do that if I've got clashing colours."

Johnny scoffed. "Girls."

"It's not just a girl thing!" Ellie defended. She shot him a playful look. "Don't think I haven't noticed that your shoes match your shirt, Johnny Cade."

Johnny shrugged, his ears red. "Whatever."

Ponyboy laughed.

"Ok ok, what do you think about this one?" Ellie pointed to a boxy couch with navy upholstery and mahogany lining. "It's kind of cute, isn't it?"

They stood there staring at it critically.

"It's so..." Ponyboy started.

Johnny finished his sentence for him. "Soc."

Ellie groaned and looked up at the rafters above them, searching for some self-control. "Are you literally just making words up now?"

"Soc is short for Social." Ponyboy explained. "That's what we call the kids that live west of the tracks, in the rich area."

Ellie nibbled on her lip thoughtfully. "Then what are we called?"

"Greasers." Johnny answered, "But not you. You're not a greaser."

"Am I a Soc, then?"

"Well, you sure dress like it. And if you're paying for nice furniture like this, then you gotta have the money as well." Ponyboy said.

"Hm..." Ellie wanted to ask more, but she could feel both boys begin to shrink back and distance themselves from her. The topic seemed to upset them, that's for sure. She gave the couch a sullen look. "Maybe it's not right for the house."

Half an hour later, Ellie paid for the furniture and ordered it to be delivered tomorrow morning. Her grandmother would be upset about the long wait, but there was nothing Ellie could do.

"Okay. Where's the best place to grab a bite?" She asked as they crossed the parking lot.

"We can go to The Dingo." Ponyboy suggested, lighting a smoke.

Ellie thought he was too young to smoke, but didn't say anything out loud.

Johnny shook his head. "Might be kind of rough for a girl like her, Pony."

"Why? What happens there?" Ellie asked as she slid into the drivers seat. Ponyboy slipped into the backseat while Johnny took shotgun.

"It's not so bad. Just the occasional fight. The foods pretty good, though. And everyone goes there."

Ellie smiled. "Doesn't sound so awful. Where to?"

They lead her back past the tracks, into Greaser territory. The diner was actually a short distance from the house- a fifteen minute walk, at most. They got out of the car, taking a moment to hang out in the parking lot so Johnny and Ponyboy could greet some of the kids they knew. They weren't kidding when they said the place was rough. Groups of boys, their hair all greased and their shoes scuffed up to hell, were hanging around the cars. They were either eyeing each other for potential fights, or eyeing the short-skirt girls wandering past.

Ellie only got the stink eye, so she tugged lightly on Ponyboy's sleeve and pointed to the diner. "Can we go in now?"

He smirked at her but complied. "Thought you said you could handle it?"

"I said no such thing." Ellie told him, sticking her nose up indignantly. "I only said this place didn't sound awful."

Ponyboy and Johnny squeezed themselves into one side of a booth and Ellie took the other side.

"Can I take your orders?" A waitress asked. The woman was frowning sternly, her eyes lined with bags. She looked tired, but then again, almost everyone on this side of town looked tired.

Ellie nodded at the boys and they ordered shakes and burgers. Ellie followed suit.

"What's it like in Chicago?" Johnny asked.

Ellie glanced out the window at two greaser boys riling each other up. "Different. Different then here, I guess." She looked back at him with a little laugh. "And less hot."

Ponyboy leaned back in his seat. "What's so different?"

"It's just..." Ellie shrugged. "The atmosphere, you know? And we don't have this Soc and Greaser thing that you have here. I mean, its not like we don't have the divide, but... it's less... important? Plus, this city is so small. I bet it'll take me less than an hour to get from one side of town to the other."

"Man, I wanna go see a big city like that... Dally said we'll go to New York one day." Johnny sighed and Two-Bit, appearing out of thin air, slapped his shoulder enthusiastically.

"Dally wouldn't get a mile outta Tulsa before Sylvia drags him back by his-" His eyes landed on Ellie and he faltered, "Ears?"

Ellie smiled at him. "Keith, right? I mean, Two-Bit."

Two-Bit invited himself to sit down beside her. Ellie tried not to blush when his shoulder pressed up against hers. She'd never hung out with so many boys before. Her father had made sure of that. But her big o' daddy wasn't here to protect her anymore, was he? Not that she was going to get herself into trouble, that is.

"Now, what's a rascal like you doin', harassing these fine young gentlemen?" He asked with a wink.

Ellie struggled not to smile. Damn, if Two-Bit didn't stop cracking jokes like that, she just might have to find herself some trouble. "I'm trying to pick them up, can't you tell?"

"She's telling us 'bout Chicago." Ponyboy interrupted, flashing them a look. "And we're telling her 'bout Socs and Greasers."

"Ah, my favourite topic." Two-Bit sat up straight and fixed her with a look that made her feel like she was being interviewed. "Let's not beat around the bush. Us boys wanna know what a Soc could possibly be doin', hanging out, buying a home in Greaser territory."

"Uh..." Ellie shrugged, feeling stupid. "Well, the house has always belonged to my grandmother, before they moved to Chicago."

"What about your mum and dad?" Ponyboy asked, "They still in Chicago?"

An awkward moment ensued where Ponyboy flushed and looked as if he had spoken without thinking. Ellie tried to pay it no mind, chatting away eagerly. "My dad and older brother's still there, last time I checked. Mumsie went off with my baby brother to live with her own mom in Washington. Oh, don't look so uncomfortable, Ponyboy. They didn't split, or anything. Dad just has some problems with his business, so mum left to give him less to stress over. Then grandma started going on about wanting to go back home before she keels over, and dad figured I best go with her until things settle down in Chicago." She took a breath. "But I don't think grandma's gonna die anytime soon. Daddy always says she's so stubborn she'd survive the rapture."

"What's your dad's business?" Ponyboy asked.

"Oh." Ellie wracked her brain. "Something in sales? I uh... I don't know."

Ponyboy raised an eyebrow at her. "You don't know what your dad does?"

"Well I've asked." Ellie defended, "But dad just tells me to worry about other things. Like school. But personally, I don't know why I even bother with education. I don't really need it to be a house-wife, do I? That's what I'm going to end up as, anyway." She grinned sheepishly, "Don't have the brains to be anything else."

The waitress came back with their food. But instead of leaving to attend to other costumers, she shot Two-Bit a scathing look. "Aren't you supposed to be at home, fixing our screen door?"

Two-Bit shrugged and set her with a cheeky smile. "Well, if it ain't my darling sister. Have you met Ellie? She's new here."

The waitress glanced disdainfully at Ellie. "I can tell she's new. Everyone in the damn _building_ can tell she's new."

She made to turn. "Keith, you better stop foolin' round with some Soc and get home. That door better be fixed by the end of my shift."

Two-Bit groaned and sunk into his seat. "Damn. She gives me more grief in one day than my mother has in five years."

"She's pretty." Ellie commented. "Looks like you."

"Really?" He pretended to flip hair over his shoulder. "You calling me pretty, too?"

Ponyboy laughed. "Shucks, you're the prettiest girl in the room, Keitha."

A boy came sauntering over, a smoke burning in his mouth. "This has got to be the weirdest conversation I've ever walked in on."

Ponyboy cocked his head towards the boy. "Ellie, this is Dallas Winston. We just call him Dally."

Dallas was built strong with high cheekbones and white-blonde hair. When he caught Ellie's gaze, she had the distinct impression that she was being hunted down by some big animal. She looked down instinctively. "Nice to meet you."

Dally made a noise in the back of his throat to acknowledge her before turning to Johnny. "Heard your parents at it again when I passed by looking for ya'. Probably best to keep out tonight."

Johnny nodded and held up his plate. He'd finished his burger but most of his fries were still there. "Want some?"

"Nah." Dally smirked and took some from Ponyboy's plate. "You're too small to be given' other people your food, Johnnycake."

"Hey!" Ponyboy tried to slap Dally's hand away. "I'm just as skinny, you know."

"Both you boys ought ta' bulk up." Two-Bit told them as he stole his own fistful of fries. "Or how else is Darry gonna let you come on rumbles?"

Ellie's eyebrow rose. "What's a rumble?"

"Where are you from?" Dallas asked skeptically, "Under a rock?"

"She's from Chicago, Dally." Johnny looked eagerly between them. "Dally used to live in New York."

"Is that so?" Dallas' tone was mocking and Ellie grew frustrated at herself for not being able to look him in the eye. God, why was he so intimidating?

"New York? You don't look like a New Yorker." She managed to spit out, though she was sure he had to strain his ears just to hear it.

"Yeah?" He seemed like he was trying not to bite down on his cigarette. "Well you look like a city-slicker. One of the rich kinds too. A perfect Soc. But you're on the wrong side of town, kiddo. You lost?"

The air around them grew heavy.

"Moved in next door to the Curtis'." Two-Bit interjected. "We'll make a greaser girl outa her yet."

Ellie tried an easy smile, ignoring the heat of Dally's eyes on her face. "What would that entail, exactly?"

"Well..." Two-Bit leaned back and gave her a sleazy look. "You got any shorter skirts?"

"You ever swear?" Johnny asked.

Ponyboy made a face. "Or wear a lot of that black crud girls out on their eyes?"

Ellie blinked. "Uh... No to all of the above?"

"Soc." Dally repeated. "Through and through."

Ellie crossed her arms over her chest. "Well, what's so bad about being a Soc, anyway?"

There was a series of groans around the table.

"All they are are rich, snobby bastards that get a kick outa coming over here I'm their souped-up cars, rolling kids. And they don't even get a slap on the wrist for it either. They could _kill_ a greaser and I wouldn't be surprised if they got an award for it." Two-Bit slung his arm over the booth seat and shifted restlessly. His expression was sour and he looked ready for a fight. Dally scuffed the linoleum floor and stared moodily out the window, jaw locked.

"They can't all be so bad, can they?" Ellie asked quietly.

Ponyboy shrugged. "They'd lock us all up and steamroll our houses to the ground, if they could. We're nothing- worth nothing... Not to them. Just a bunch of dirty hoods."

She licked her lips nervously, watching how the light of the sun glittered through her half-empty milkshake. "Well, I don't think I want to be a Soc, then."

Johnny shook his head. "That's the thing. You don't get to choose."

* * *

**I posted early because either i'm an attention whore that feeds off reviews or because I'm celebratory-posting 'cause I got a job. Either way, here you go. A little longer, right? And a bit more interesting, I hope. I know nothing GREAT has occurred yet, but the first few chapters are going to be about creating friendships and developing them first. Also, a wild Dally appears in this, so that's exciting, right? First impressions and such. Grandma's a little less sassy and more bitchy in this chapter, but i'll try to think of more witty lines for her. Anyway, the point is, it's Monday, so technically it's the next week.**

**Thank you so much for the reviews and such! They mean so much! Feel free to give helpful criticism as well! Actually, I encourage it!**


	3. Trouble

3.

Ellie stepped up into the full length mirror and growled. What was she thinking, wearing that skirt with that blouse? It didn't even match her hair! Rushing back to her wardrobe, she pulled out an emerald frock dress and threw herself into it. This time she skipped the mirror. It was the fifth outfit change in half an hour and if she kept it up she'd be late for her first day at school.

Her grandmother was sitting on the couch downstairs, fixed on the television screen.

"It's my first day at school, grandma." Ellie presented herself at the foot of the sofa. She gave a little twirl. "How do I look?"

The old woman turned her head and gave Ellie a once over before dismissing her. "What did I tell you about those clothes, girl? You're just asking for trouble."

Ellie smoothed her hands over the fabric nervously. "Is... Is it too short?"

The woman _tisk_-ed roughly and waved her hand. "Stop standing there and make breakfast!"

After eating, Ellie tied her hair in pigtails, brushed her teeth, slipped on a pair of black kitten heals, and pulled out two raw steaks for the dogs.

The morning sun hit her strongly as she stepped into the yard but there was a strong breeze to soften the blow. The exterior of her house still needed a good paint job and the fence needed replacing. But at least the lawn had been cut. With great difficulty on Ellie's part, that was sure. If only her big brother was here. And her mother too... She wouldn't have let Ellie fret about her outfit.

"Hello lovelies." She greeted her dogs, scratching Lady's head affectionately. "Are you hungry?"

"Huh."

Ellie almost dropped the meat in her hand. Dallas and Johnny were standing just behind her fence.

Dally let his eyes wander down her figure before passing his smoke to Johnny. "Didn't think you could look any more Soc, but I was wrong."

"You coming to school today, Ellie?" Johnny asked. It had been two weeks since Ellie had moved here, and she was proud to say that Johnny had relaxed around her since their first meeting. Or, at least he had stopped looking at her like she had rabies.

"Yeah." She made a face, "But I'd rather not. First days are always the worst."

Johnny smiled reassuringly and passed the smoke back to Dally. "Don't worry, you can stick by me, Ponyboy, and Two-Bit."

She readjusted the steak so it wouldn't drip blood down her arm. "Wait, that's it? I thought Sodapop and Steve were sixteen, like me.

"Most of us dropped out." Dally explained, eyeing Ellie's Rottweiler. It bared its teeth at him but Ellie didn't seem to notice.

"Wow, really?" She looked over towards the Curtis' house to see Ponyboy hurrying out of the front door. "My brother dropped out of school, once. The next day he was re-enrolled. My dad wouldn't have it. Said he'd hand over the family business to me if my brother didn't smarten up. Thank god he did, 'cause there's no way I'd waste my time with boring office stuff like that."

"What's that dog's name?" Dallas asked suddenly. It was clear he hadn't heard a word Ellie was saying.

"That's Lord, and the Kuvasz is Lady. That's what I call them, anyways. Their real names are a bit too... vulgar."

Dally leaned over the fence and whistled. "Here, Lord."

"Maybe you shouldn't-" Ellie started, but Dally only shot her a look.

"I handle bulls in the rodeo. I think I can handle one dumb dog."

Johnny crossed his arms over his chest and nodded at Ponyboy as he arrived beside them. "So what's their real names?"

When the Rottweiler didn't budge, Dallas stuck his hand over the fence, snapped his fingers, and tried again. "Here boy!"

Lord and Lady vaulted themselves at him, snapping and snarling, hoping to get a mouthful of exposed arm. Ellie never saw a man jump back so fast.

She cast a smug smile at the boys and tucked a hair behind her ear. "Hunter and Killer."

As much as Ellie hated school, she loved it as well. It was better than sitting at home with her grandmother. And the exposure to more girls was refreshing. Making friends wasn't so difficult for her, either. Though shy in nature, Ellie was used to being forced out of her comfort zone with all the mixers she attended with her mother. Small talk- or talking in general- was Ellie's best talent.

She had English with Johnny first block, then a Pre-Calc class involving a pop-quiz. By lunch she had made a few new acquaintances, but none of them had invited her to eat with them. And she was sort of glad for it. The familiarity of the boys sounded better than having to watch her every step with new people. Not that the boys were old friends, but they were so open and laid back that Ellie didn't feel like she needed to worry around them.

They were lounging on top the hood of a car in the back parking lot.

"Well, if it isn't our little Soc." Two-Bit smiled and scooted over so she could sit down. "I'm surprised your own kind hasn't snatched you up and lead you away yet."

"I met a couple of girls, actually." Ellie told them, setting her books down on her lap. "They were nice enough. Do you know Marcia? She has short brown hair... And this other girl... Alice, I think. She was nice, but Marcia was funnier."

Johnny gave Ponyboy a knowing smile. "Oh, Ponyboy knows Alice, don't you, Ponyboy?"

Ponyboy looked down at his sneakers. "Shut up, Johnny. No I don't."

"Awe, Ponyboy!" Two-Bit almost fell off the car laughing. "Little Pony's crushing on a Soc!"

"No I'm not!" Ponyboy jumped off the hood. "And you shouldn't be saying anything about girls, Two-Bit! Lord knows how long you've been trying to pin down Kathy!"

"Actually," The older boy wiggled his eyebrows suggestively, "Kathy, as of three weeks ago, has been...eh... caught."

Ellie jumped down as well, setting her books in her vacant seat. "And that's my cue to go to the bathroom. Watch my books, will you?"

Weaving through the cars, Ellie couldn't help but notice that she was spotting more greaser kids in the back parking lot than she had the whole day. In fact, most of the kids in her class had been Socs.

The closest restroom was just past the back doors. It was small, with only three stalls and two sinks. It didn't look like it had been cleaned in a while, with graffiti marking up every and all surface and a mirror smashed, little bits of it scattered across the counter. The girls inside didn't seem to mind, however. A group of four, they pushed and shoved for supremacy over the one good mirror. One of the girls was Two-Bit's sister.

Trying not to interrupt them, Ellie shuffled to the cleanest stall and did her business. She was hoping when she came out they would be gone, but that wasn't the case.

"Excuse me..." She mumbled politely, but her voice was trampled under their screeching voices.

"Evie, move the fuck over! You're going to make me mess up my eyeliner!" One girl growled, her hair as black as midnight and her eyes already done up. Ellie didn't think she needed anymore eyeliner, but what did she know? All she had on her face was a single layer of mascara and that was only because she was trying to make a good first impression today.

"Just let me finish my hair, goddamn it." Another girl, Evie, paused to wave her comb threateningly at Two-Bit's sister. "If you shove me one more time, Penny, I swear to you I will sign you up for football. Are you half-man, or something? Jesus."

"Excuse me!" Ellie cried out a little louder. "Can I please wash my hands?"

The girl with black hair twisted around and gave Ellie a withering stare. "Oh, I'm sorry princess. Are we in the way? We better move, right girls? And somebody better roll out the red carpet, too."

Ellie shrunk back. "I'll only be a minute."

The girls parted and Ellie washed her hands, her heart beating loudly in the now silent room. Why was she so scared? She came from Chicago, for Christ's sake! She should be able to handle a few catty girls.

"You're that Soc that was hanging out at The Dingo with my brother." Penny commented, snapping her gum. "He said you moved in next door to the Curtis'."

Ellie nodded.

"Watch out," Another girl smiled, turning the cap of her lipstick in her hand. "If Kathy hears you've been chatting up her boyfriend, you'll get a face full of claws."

She scratched at the air playfully and Ellie got a good look at the red daggers attached to each of her fingers. Out of all the girls, this one seemed to be most threatening. Her fiery hair was teased up as far as it could go, and her skirt was so high that Ellie couldn't even glance at the exposed skin without blushing. Her eyes held nothing in them but contempt.

"Shut up, Sylvia." Penny snapped, turning back to the mirror as Ellie moved out of the way. "Kathy couldn't hurt a damn fly if she wanted, and Two-Bit can talk to who he likes."

The black-haired girl dropped her eyeliner beside the sink and inched towards Ellie like she was stalking out her prey. "In fact, this Soc might be an improvement. With the way Kathy and Mathews drink, their babies won't have a brain cell to share between them. You smart, Soc?"

"My name is Elizabeth, but you can call me Ellie." Ellie told her with as much courage as she could muster. "And no, not really. I guess I'm alright in history class, though."

The girl stepped back. "You're hard to rile up." She said appraisingly. "I'm Angel."

Ellie almost laughed at the irony of her name, but held herself back.

"I'm Penny." Two-Bit's sister stated without looking away from the mirror.

The red-haired girl hiked herself up onto the counter. "Sylvia."

"Evie." The last girl was taller than the rest of them with brown hair cut into a bob and a serious expression.

"It's nice meeting you girls." Ellie smiled, trying to forget all their rude comments said only moments before.

"So..." Sylvia stuffed her tube of lipstick into the purse sitting beside her. "What's up with the getup, if you aren't from the Soc area? You steal all those clothes?"

"Nope." Ellie answered, "It's... just the way I like to dress."

Evie nodded understandingly. "It better than the way Sandy dresses, at least. That girl is years behind when it comes to fashion. I'm surprised she's stopped wearing poodle skirts, to be honest."

"Yeah," Angel felt the material of Ellie's dress strap. "It's... what's the word people are using these days? Mod. Does everyone dress like this in Chicago?"

"Uh huh." Ellie undid one of her pigtails to fix it. "And most of it doesn't cost that much, either. Actually, I made most of mine."

Angel perked up considerably. "No shit? Can you make me something?"

"Oh, I don't have my sewing machine anymore."

The girl didn't seem to be deterred. "I can lift one for you, if you like. Hell, I can probably get it from the Home Ec. room."

Penny snorted. "What, you wanna stick her with a hot sewing machine so she can slave over some dress for you before she gets arrested?"

"Well, I'm just trying to be friendly." Evie mumbled, rolling her eyes. "Anyway, I've never met a girl who sews her own clothes before.

Ellie smiled brightly at the group of girls crowding the bathroom and wondered if she had just made some new friends.

* * *

"_Psst!_"

Ellie stared hard at the gross brown she had made with her green and pink paint. What had she been thinking, mixing the two colors together?

"_Psst! _Ellie!"

Not thinking at all, that was what. Not with that annoying, persistent sound in the background-

"Wow, that's an ugly ass color you got there. You gonna paint a giant turd or something?"

Finally, she pulled herself away from her artwork so she could close her eyes until she was calm enough to speak.

"What are you even doing in this class, anyway?" She asked him. "This is Art 11. Aren't you a senior?"

Two-Bit shrugged noncommittally. He had gotten a little mirror from the supply closet used for self portraits and was attempted to paint a ghastly, bleeding wound on his forehead. When he had turned to face her, the paint on his brush fell onto his jeans.

"I keep failing grades." He told her with a little pout. "School is hard."

Ellie smiled and passed him a paper. "Not if you follow the instructions."

"You're absolutely no fun, do you know that?" Two-Bit tried to wipe the paint off but only smeared it. He looked so out of place in an art class filled with soc girls.

"Hey," She stuck her hands up, "You're the one who chose this class. If you didn't want to actual art, then you should have taken... economics, or something."

He dipped his paintbrush in his excessive amount of red acrylic and dabbed a little bit more blood onto his wound. "I figured it would be an easy class. Plus, I have a thing for chicks that do art. And blondes."

"You're a..." Ellie started creating a tree on her paper, though she had been trying to paint her favorite street in Chicago. "...An odd boy, Two-Bit."

"_Man._" Two-Bit pointed at her with the wooden end of his brush. "I'm an odd _man._"

She rolled her eyes. Every time he moved, he got more paint on himself. "Okay fine, whatever."

He didn't look very satisfied, but he let it go anyway and went back to his wound. It looked rather unrealistic, but the amount of red he had dripping down from it was masking that fact.

"You should go down the halls like that." Ellie giggled, "And when people comment about it, pretend you didn't even know it was there."

Two-Bit grinned. "I've got an even better idea."

Eventually, Two-Bit managed to get her to ask for the bathroom pass. She stood outside the classroom for five minutes, waiting for him to emerge.

"What did you tell the teacher?" She asked as they hurried down the halls. Two-Bit seemed to know exactly where he wanted them to go. "Wheres your washroom pass?"

"What are you talking about? I just left."

"You just _left_? As in, got up and walked out?" Ellie didn't even know people could do that.

Two-Bit flashed her a grin. "I'm just so rebellious, aren't I? Nah, they don't care if I leave. Bet the teach' was surprised I even showed up."

Ellie considered this for a moment. She didn't understand why Two-Bit hadn't just quit school like Sodapop. Not that she would approve, of course. But if he couldn't even bother to attend classes, what was the point?

"Alright." Two-Bit had led them down to the first floor of the school, just a little before the main doors. "See that classroom? I want you to frantically wave at Ponyboy so he comes out of class."

She peeked inside of the class and sure enough, Ponyboy was slouched in his back-row seat, eyes fixed to the board in front of him. "Why?"

Two-Bit put a hand on her shoulder. "Don't ever question the mastermind, honey. Are you good at acting?"

Ellie shrugged. "I took theater in my old school."

"Good enough." He glanced inside the classroom and started to back away. "Wave him outside and tell him something bad happened. Then lead him around the corner, alright?"

She made a face but nodded anyway. This better be quick, because she only had two minutes before her bathroom break would become suspiciously long.

Two-Bit rounded the corner and Ellie tried to put on her game-face before jumping up and down and waving in front of the little slit of window on the door. Most of the class spotted her before Ponyboy did, but eventually he came outside.

"What?" He asked, shutting the door behind him. "I'm reviewing for a test!"

She forced a few alligator tears to bubble up in her eyes. "It's- It's Two-Bit, Pony! I think someone attacked him!"

Pony straightened up immediately and dunked his hand into his jacket pocket, revealing his switchblade. "Where?"

"I-I..." Ellie eyed the instrument suspiciously, wondering if the prank might be going too far. If he got caught with that, he'd be in a world of trouble.

"_Where_?" He snapped, grabbing her shoulder painfully.

"Uh," She blinked, "A-around the corner!"

He let go of her so quickly that she tripped and nearly fell on her face. When she got a hold of herself, he was already gone.

"Two-Bit!" She heard Pony call.

The older boy was sprawled out on the floor when she caught up. It was rather impressive, actually, the way watery globs of red paint was running down the side of his face and dripping onto the tile. If she didn't know better, she would have thought he was dead.

"Two-Bit!" Ponyboy screamed again, propping his head up on his lap. Poor, unfortunate, dead Two-Bit couldn't stop himself from cracking a grin then.

"You're so passionate, Pony." He commented, his eyes still shut. "I'm very touched."

Pony lifted his hand covered in fake blood and inspected it for a brief second. Then his face turned as red as the paint and he scrambled up on his feet to give his friend a few strong kicks to the side. "You fucking idiot! I thought you were dead! It's not funny! It's not fucking funny!"

And it was in that particular moment that a duo of teachers had decided to pass by.

* * *

**Ey yo. Haha I just wrote half this chapter. I had it up to the point where she meets the gang of girls, but then I figured you guys deserved something a little more exciting. Not much, I know, but it's something, right? I PROMISE the next chapter is going to be generally enormous and exciting with some yummy Dallas/Ellie alone-time. So if you can bother sticking with me for this one last shitty chapter, you'll get a treat! Actually, you know what, I might as well give you guys a sneak peak.**

**In the next chapter:**

Dally couldn't have rolled his eyes harder. Maybe _her_ patience was endless, but his wasn't. But suddenly his hand touched down on a gold mine and he began to feel a little better.  
"Huh."  
Ellie's eyes were glued to the intersection lights. "What?"  
"I guess I was wrong about you being a goody-two-shoes after all."  
"You're darn straight!" Ellie stated automatically, and then looked over. "Wait, what?"

**Are you excited? I'm excited!**

**Thank you everyone for your reviews! I really can't tell you how much it means to me! Remember to tell me about any mistakes or plot-holes or whatever. Also, if you want to have something happen in the story, you should let me know! I might write it in!**


	4. Shot At The Night

4.

"Dallas Winston does not play with animals."

Ellie bit the inside of her cheek and stared innocently at him. "I didn't say that. I'm just saying Lord's not very playful."

The Rottweiler was giving Dally the stink-eye, but was content in his position on the porch where shade was abundant. Lady, on the other hand, was circling the lawn excitedly, her muzzle slack and her tongue poking over her teeth.

"I get the feeling you've been harassing them quite a lot lately." Ellie said as she followed the path across her front yard.

Dally shot her an irritated look. "Don't know what you're talkin' 'bout."

"Really?" She gave him her own amused expression. "'Cause my grandma says that you've been coming over almost every day, riling them up."

Dallas snorted and turned away to light a smoke. "Whatever. Maybe I'm just looking for a fight."

"Then you're looking in the wrong area." Ellie turned to her dogs. "Go on to the back, darlings. Ignore this big o' meanie."

Lord got up first, surprising Dally. The lazy shit didn't look like he'd get up if a nuke fell on the house. Lady made one more lap, got a scratch behind her ear from Ellie, and then chased after her partner.

"Do you always like ruining people's fun?" Dally asked, pushing himself off the tense so he could leave. Maybe he could score a free beer from the Curtis'.

"Wait up!" Ellie called, "Are you gonna go over to Ponyboy's?"

"You aren't coming."

Ellie came to his side and matched his pace. "Jeez, don't worry. I won't stay long enough to ruin your special man-time or whatever guys do with each other."

Dally only grunted. Was this broad ever silent? And how did she even manage to attach herself to the gang, anyway?

"Hey... What _do_ guys do with each other?"

What kind of question was that? "We do each other's hair and gossip about cute girls."

Ellie must have picked up on the heavy-handed sarcasm because when he turned to look at her she was pouting. "You're a real conversationalist."

"You wouldn't like what I got to say."

As they walked, plumes of dirt and dust kicked up and made miniature sand-storms around their feet. It was unusual for Tulsa so be so hot in the spring, but Dally liked it better than the rain. Anyway, more sun typically meant more rodeos and more rodeos meant more money.

"You know what? You remind me of my brother, all rough and mean." Ellie stated, hiking her fat purse higher in her shoulder. "You two would either get along or kill each other."

"Kill each other." Dallas replied immediately. "And don't ever compare me to some annoying brat of a Soc. I ain't nothing like that."

Ellie laughed. "My brother? A Soc? He dresses worse than you!"

Now he was really offended. "What's wrong with my clothes, huh bitch? Not enough fucking sweater vests?"

For a moment he was sure she would cry. Her eyebrows plunged, her lips quivered, her hands balled into fists... But the next second she was shaking her head solemnly. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to offend you..." She sighed. "I always say such stupid things when I'm nervous."

Dallas blew smoke out of his mouth violently. "What do you have to be nervous about, huh?"

Ellie tucked a stray hair behind her ear. She had a trend of keeping it in some kind of style, but today she didn't seem to mind letting her locks go free. "I don't know... Boys like you are just kind of... dangerous."

It took all of his strength not to smile. Nothing could boost a man's ego more than being called dangerous, that was for sure. Damn broad probably knew it too. He'd bet on his life that if he looked at her right then, she'd be smirking up a storm, all smug and shit.

"Oh, hey Ponyboy!" Ellie shouted, skipping away from Dallas as they approached the house. Ponyboy was sitting on the porch, a smoke in one hand and a novel in the other.

"Hey." The younger boy answered casually, looking torn between finishing his book and talking to her. "What brings you to my part of town?"

"Just passing by." Ellie laughed, then wretched her purse open and pulled out a giant plate. "Actually, I came by to return this. The cake was really good, by the way."

Ponyboy grinned. "You'll have to tell Sodapop that. He's inside making a new one right now."

Ellie nodded and left the boy to his novel. Dallas hung back, enjoying the show as she hesitated awkwardly at the door, wondering if she should knock or go right in. Eventually Dallas made the decision for her.

"Two-Bit, you drink all the beer again?" He asked, swinging the door wide open and collapsing onto the love-seat. Steve and Two-Bit had parked themselves inches away from the television while Darry sat stretched out on the couch. He was so big that he took up nearly half the seat.

"There's one left." Two-Bit grinned, "But you'll have to fight Darry for it."

Wasn't worth it.

"Uh, hey guys." Ellie wavered at the door shyly. "Just dropped by to return your plate..."

Darry got up and took it from her and attempted a smile. Dallas snorted. The funny thing about the oldest Curtis boy was that he could break a bone in one hand but had trouble forming words in front of a girl. Even an ugly one.

"Soda!" Johnny's voice drifted in from the kitchen. "I'm telling you, that's way too much sugar."

Dallas heaved himself off the sofa and padded into the next room. Unsurprisingly, Soda was creating a glorious mess of flower, cocoa powders and eggs.

"No such thing as too much sugar, Johnnycake!" Soda shouted manically. He was heaving large scoops of the white crystals into a larger bowl while Johnny looked on with distaste.

"You're gunna make all of us fat." Dally passed the boys to open the icebox, which was filled with nothing but beer, chocolate milk, and raw hotdogs. They didn't even have buns.

"Not you, Dally Boy." Soda smirked over his concoction. "You're already ballooning as it is."

It only took a minute or two to get him in a head lock. "I think you're confusing the word muscle for fat, kiddo."

"Oh ya, I think that's exactly what it is, Dally!" Sodapop wheezed, thrashing around so badly he would have knocked over the batter if Darry hadn't steadied the bowl.

"Knock it off!" The oldest boy demanded, "And clean this mess up, Soda." He glanced down at the cake batter and winced. "No more sugar."

Soda straightened up, rubbed his neck, and spotted Ellie by the door. "Oh, hey Soc!"

"Hey Greaser." Ellie smiled, "Did a tornado hit your kitchen?"

Johnny hopped up on the counter beside Dally. "No, he's just a really vicious cake baker."

"It's an art, Johnny." Sodapop stated proudly, "And tidiness must be sacrificed for art. I think someone famous said that once, right Ponyboy?"

The youngest boy had squeezed into the room just as Darry Dallas, his path lead him straight to the icebox. "Nope. That's all you, Sodapop."

"Damn." Sodapop poured his mixture into two pans. "I should become a philosopher, or something."

"I'm not sure that's an actual career." Ellie commented, accepting the spoon Sodapop handed to her. She ran her finger along the edge and tasted the batter. "Oh. Wow. So... sweet."

"Hey Johnny," Dallas said quietly, slinging an arm over Johnny affectionately. "Your parents-"

"Are at it again?" Johnny shook his head. "When are they not fighting, Dally?"

Dallas didn't know what to say. Johnny was always a sensitive kid, like Ponyboy. If they felt it, they showed it. The thought of acting like that made Dally's skin crawl. He hoped neither of the boys would ever end up in jail. Kids like them, kids who didn't know how to build walls around themselves, would only be subjected to bombardment.

Ponyboy, Sodapop, and Ellie weren't listening in on their conversation. Instead they were sticking fingers in the batter.

"It's so grainy..." Ellie let her little tongue slip out and her nose wrinkle. "Are you sure you only put one cup in it?"

"One cup, two cups, the whole package." Sodapop shrugged. "What's the difference?"

Ponyboy stuck the pans into the oven so they could bake. "Anyone wanna go to the drive-in tonight?"

Johnny jumped on board immediately, as well as Dally and Sodapop. They hadn't gone in a while, though Ponyboy had asked almost every other night. With Soda, Steve, and Darry almost always out working, they could tell he was beginning to feel left behind.

Ellie opened her mouth but Dally cut her off. "You're not coming."

"Dallas!" Sodapop hissed, crossing his arms over his chest. In that moment, the similarity between he and Darry seemed obvious. But there was no way in hell Dally was going to be intimidated by a pretty-boy like Soda.

"It's fine." Ellie waved her hand in dismissal. "I was just going to say that this girl Alice invited me to go tonight. Maybe we'll see you around."

"Alice Pennon?" Johnny asked excitedly, wiggling his eyebrows at Pony. "Looks like it's meant to be, huh?"

"Shut up, Johnny!"

"Oi!" Darry shouted from the living room, "No swearing in front of the girl."

Ellie laughed lightly and slipped her purse back on. "Okay, I've got to go. But I'll see you guys at the Drive-In, right?"

When she was gone, Dally turned to Ponyboy. "This Alice girl... She a Soc?"

Pony nodded and they shared a look. They didn't have to speak to know how the night would go.

* * *

The Drive-In belonged mostly to the Greasers on weekdays while the Socs were at home eating dinner with their families and doing homework. Still, that night it wasn't overly packed and they managed to find decent seats by the concession. The first movie flew by without any appearances from Ellie. Dallas was infinitely glad, even if Ponyboy kept shaking his knee in anticipation for a whole hour, his eyes everywhere but focused on the movie.

"Have you ever even spoken to her?" Sodapop asked, a Cheshire grin stretching from one of his ears to the other.

"Yeah." Ponyboy started with a blush.

"She dropped her pencil in the hallway and he picked it up for her." Johnny informed them. "Pony, I don't think 'thanks' and 'you're welcome' counts as a conversation..."

"That's rich coming from someone who can't even look a girl in the eye, let alone open his mouth without stuttering."

Dally reached over and ruffled Ponyboy's hair roughly. "Cut it out you two, I'm tryin' ta' watch this shit."

"I think it's cute." Sodapop said, then pretended to wipe a tear from his eye. "My little brother's all grown up, tryin' to get laid!"

"Shut up!" Ponyboy ground out, his eyes locked in something by the concession lineup. Ellie waved at them, a skinny blonde linked arm in arm with her. They whispered reverently at each other for a moment, and then Ellie dragged the girl over.

"Hey guys. This is Alice. Alice, this is Johnny, Dallas, Sodapop..." She took a deep, dramatic breath and then gestured to the last boy. "And Ponyboy."

Alice and Ponyboy's faces were the same colour of red. She waved awkwardly. "Hello."

"Hey." The boys chorused.

After an awkward pause, Soda pointed to the seats beside him. "Don't be shy, sit down."

"So... Johnny and Ponyboy go to the same school as us." Ellie said once they had settled in.

"Oh?" Alice spoke so quietly that they had strain their ears to hear her over the movie noise. "I've never seen you around before..."

"Well, we don't really hang out with the same people." Ponyboy explained. "But I see you in the halls a lot."

Alice nodded.

"I'm thinking of joining cheer." Ellie said, and Dallas could tell she was just spouting things off to keep the conversation going. "What do you guys think?"

"The only good thing about cheerleading is the skirts they wear." Dally told her. "You'd think a bunch a' girls that flash their panties every time they do a trick would be a little less prudish."

Alice's face turned an even darker red. "I'm a cheerleader." She told him sulkily.

Dally blinked, took a drag of his smoke and said, "Well, that proves my point."

"Ignore him." Sodapop passed the girls his popcorn. "He's just mad 'cause he didn't make the team."

Instead of replying, Alice turned herself to the screen and folded her arms over her chest. What a stuck-up bitch, Dallas thought. But what else would be expected from a Soc? He didn't understand how Ellie could be so oblivious. Dragging this girl over to sit with a gang of greasers was the opposite of what she should do if she planned on keeping friends. Greasers and Socs did not mingle. Treading the line wasn't an option either, and one day soon Ellie would have to pick what side she wanted to play for. And Dallas didn't need to be psychic to know exactly what her choice would be.

He let out a loud, exasperated groan when another Soc girl came trotting over, her high ponytail swinging back and forth. He remembered her from back when he still went to school. If his memory was correct, she was one of those girls that had been elevated to popularity through wealth and had stayed there by being genuinely kind to everyone she met- as long as they were socs.

She glanced suspiciously at each boy, sizing them up, before she locked eyes with Alice. "Hey Alice! Everything okay?"

"Oh, hi Sandra." The girl had her eyes glued to her shoes. "Are you here with Bill?"

"No, just a few girls. There's space in the car if you want to join us."

Alice looked nervously towards Ellie and gave her a little sheepish grin. "Do you mind if I just pop by there and say hello?"

Ellie shook her head earnestly, an all-teeth smile stretched wide across her face. "No! Of course not."

Alice was standing before Ellie could finish her sentence. "Thanks... Um, do you want to come?"

The newest Soc planted a look on Ellie that made it clear she had not been invited.

"Oh, no it's alright. I get awfully shy with big crowds of strangers."

"Alright then." Alice hesitated for a moment at the edge of the seats. Then she gave Ellie one last smile and followed the Soc into the rows of cars. Dallas watched their asses sway until they were gone.

"She seems nice." Sodapop said behind the mouthful of popcorn he had shoved into his mouth.

"Really pretty, huh Ponyboy?" Johnny snickered and Pony shoved him so hard he almost fell off the seat.

Ellie had let her wide smile drop. Pulling her cardigan around her small frame, she slumped a little in her seat. "She's not going to come back, is she?"

Soda squeezed her shoulder awkwardly. "Sure she is! What are you talking about?"

Ellie pouted and sunk further down. At first Dally thought she only did that as a sort of act, but it was becoming more and more apparent that her little lip habit was an actual expression. But this whole situation had been her own fault. If she hadn't been so ignorant as to drag the soc over, she could have spent the night cruising around with those other girls instead of ruining the boy's evening with her dramatics.

"Soda, the movie's just about to end. So unless she thinks she can "pop by and say hello" in one minute, I very much doubt she's planning to come back for me."

The boys shifted restlessly in their seats, unable to find words to console her. Thankfully, she seemed to be able to cheer herself up.

"All right." Ellie stood and stretched as the credits rolled onto the screen. "Any of you want a ride home?"

"Yeah."

"Yes."

"Yes please!"

"Fine."

They zigzagged through the chessboard of cars as the credits ran down the screen, eventually passing a car full of giggling girls -one of whom was Alice. Ellie sent her a little goodbye wave when their eyes met, but didn't react any further. Pony, Johnny and Dally took backseat, Soda having called shotgun. It felt weird being driven around by a girl, but it was better than walking and facing the danger of being jumped. Not that Dally couldn't take a few guys.

"Uh, Ellie?" Ponyboy muttered as they slowly pulled out of the lot. "Did you hit a skunk or something?"

Her eyebrows furrowed. "No, why?"

"'Cause it smells like one in here."

Dally took a deep sniff and it was confirmed. "Shit, did you leave road kill in your trunk or something?"

"No!" Ellie cried indignantly, "I don't know why it smells like this. It just does."

"Why'd you have such a beater of a car anyway?" Ponyboy asked, earning a hard shove from Sodapop.

"What?" The young boy grumbled, "I'm just saying, it doesn't really match her persona."

"It's my brother's car." Ellie told them cheerfully. She seemed most happy when she was chatting their ears off about her family. "My dad made him pay for his own car, so this is all he could afford. He could have gotten a nicer one but he's awful at saving money. Anyway, he probably farted so much in here that the smell stayed."

The boys fell into a long series of laughter, mostly because it was the most vulgar thing that they thought could possibly spew out of her mouth.

"Oh, hush up." Ellie smiled and tried to hide her blush. "Who lives closest?"

"Me." Johnny stated, sobering quickly.

"Just turn left here and keep going straight 'till you hit a cal-de-sac."

"You can crash on the couch again if you want, Johnny." Ponyboy told him quietly. Quick as lightening, the mood had shifted once more. It was unsettlingly still in the car, and even as they'd talked it didn't seem to disturb the silence of the moment.

Johnny kept his eyes fixed on the passing scenery outside. "Nah. You know if I stay out too much, it just makes things worse."

Dallas watched Ellie from his seat behind hers. He couldn't see too much in the dark, but he could hear the steady tapping of her finger on the wheel and the smooth curves of her exposed neck surge under every heavy breath. She was tense.

Ellie stopped the car in front of his house. A sigh of relief echoed through them at the sights and sounds of a quiet home. Only Johnny looked even more anxious. Dally lit up a smoke and passed it to him.

"See ya later, Johnnycake." The boy took a long drag, passed it back, and opened the car door. The gang watched him until he was safe inside.

"He'll... be okay, right?" Ellie asked, biting her lip. Though no one had told her of Johnny's situation, she seemed to have figured it out herself. Dally didn't know what to think. Half the time she was as oblivious to the world as a goldfish. But moments like these revealed the opposite.

"He's not a baby." Dallas snapped. "He'll survive."

She pouted once more. It must have been the tenth time that day. "Who's next?"

"Do you mind dropping us off next?" Sodapop asked, "I know its kind of inconvenient 'cause it's so close to yours, but Ponyboy'll get in a world of trouble if he's any later than he already is and I need to work early tomorrow."

"No problem." Ellie told them. Their own street was only a few behind Johnny's and the two Curtis boys were hustling into the house before five minutes had passed. Dally paused indecisively for a moment. For one, he didn't really want to ride across town with Ellie. On the other hand, he didn't want to walk.

"Alright, so where do you- ugh! What are you doing?"

Dallas shoved his foot into the front seat and hunched over so that the rest of him could follow it. In one un-fluid movement, he was sitting up front beside her.

He took a puff of his smoke. "Calm down."

Ellie rolled her eyes and took a deep breath as she pulled away from the curb.

"Do you_ like_ testing my patience?"

"Yeah." Dally admitted. "Try'na see when you'll finally snap and claw my eyes out."

"Well good luck." Ellie told him proudly, "Because my patience is endless."

"We'll see." Ellie bit down on her lip and concentrated hard on driving. Dally was half tempted to make her pull over so he could drive. They'd certainly get home faster if he did.

"You ever go past ten miles per hour?" He grumbled, poking at the numerous buttons available to him.

Ellie swatted his hand away. "Stop. You're gunna turn on my windshield wipers and cause an accident."

"It's not my fault your so shitty at driving. Do you even have your licence?" She started gnawing on her lip so roughly they looked like they'd rip.

"Wait..." Dallas shot up. "You don't have your licence?"

The pink in her cheeks spread to her ears. "I didn't have time to get it before I was being forced to drive from Chicago to Oklahoma, okay? Do you have your licence?"

Dally shrugged. "No, but that's different."

"How?"

"'Cause I'm not miss goody-two shoes." Dally told her as he focused his attention on the glove compartment. "Bet you haven't ever even swore."

"I am not a goody-two-shoes." Ellie stated with her nose poked up in the air. "And that's just because I'm too classy to swear."

Dally couldn't have rolled his eyes harder. Maybe her patients was endless, but his wasn't. But suddenly his hand touched down on a gold mine and he began to feel a little better.

"Huh."

Ellie's eyes were glued to the intersection lights. "What?"

"I guess I was wrong about you being a goody-two-shoes after all."

"You're darn straight!" Ellie stated automatically, and then looked over. "Wait, what?"

Dally waved a baggy full of grass in her face, a cocky smirk twitching at the edges of his lips.

"I'm actually kind of relieved. I was beginning to think the skunk smell was coming from you."

Ellie's face dropped. "That's my brothers. Put it back where you found it."

"Or we can smoke it." Dally said, "It's not like he's gunna come by and grab it any time soon."

"Yes he is." Ellie told him, "When everything settles in Chicago."

"That could take months. By then he won't remember a few grams." They pulled into Buck Merrill's driveway. Dally didn't like the look of the place when it wasn't filled with party guests. It made him feel as if he was intruding.

"Put it back!" Her voice had taken on a whining tone that he greatly disliked. Just to spite her, he made a giant display of putting the baggy into the inside pocket of his leather jacket.

"Dallas!" She cried, squeezing the wheel tight enough to make the leather squeak. "Come on!"

"Awe, lemme have it!" Dallas put on his best smile. "It's my birthday."

"No it is not!" Ellie mad a swipe for his jacket.

"So much for that patience, hey?" Dallas snorted, easily backing away from her attack.

Ellie froze, gave him a stern look, and then frantically undid her seatbelt. "That's it!"

Dallas didn't have the space to avoid her when she pushed herself up on her knees and lunged at him.

"Oi, get off!" He barked, and was disappointed at how half-assed he sounded. She was jabbing her skinny little fingers into his side, desperate to find the stolen drugs. And, well, he'd die before he'd admit it, but he was goddamn ticklish and she was five seconds away from dragging a laugh out of him.

"Why are you even wearing a jacket? It's a million degrees outside!" She fussed, poking him in a particularly sensitive part of his stomach.

"Enough!" Dallas told himself as he grabbed a handful of her ass and shoved. Ellie's chattering ceased immediately when she found herself straddling his waist, her hands knotted in the hem of his shirt and his breath tickling her nose. Dally let his gaze travel to her lips, parted ever so slightly, and then to the stormy greys of her eyes. They didn't suit her, he decided. She should have brown or green eyes. Something earthy, not cold. But whatever, it didn't mean anything to him.

"Just a little lower, babe." Dallas teased.

"Uh." Ellie flushed. "Uh..."

What a fucking virgin.

"I know I'm irresistible girly," Dally sat up so that she wasn't sitting so close. "But you're gunna have to learn to control your urges."

Ellie sighed and smacked him half-heartedly on the shoulder. "Don't you have a girlfriend, you idiot? Maybe you should worry about your own urges."

Dallas snorted. "Like I'd be tempted to fuck a twiggy, whiny bitch like you."

"How uncouth." Ellie sulked, though he got the distinct feeling she hadn't taken his words to heart. Crawling off of him and back into her own seat, she cast him a sour glance and then said, "Fine, you can have one joint, but no more than that."

Dallas let out a triumphant laugh and pulled the baggy back out of his jacket. "You got any papers?"

"Check the glove box?" There was nothing left inside it but a car manual.

"I've got some upstairs anyway." Dallas said, realizing they had been idling in Bucks's driveway.

Ellie's eyes narrowed. "That's great, but that bag is not leaving my sight." He leaned back and took a few deep breaths. "Okay, you annoying brat. Come upstairs."

She visibly debated with herself. "Fine... Just keep your hands to yourself."

"I'll try my hardest, Sister Elizabeth." He jested, leading her into the house. To his surprise, the place wasn't empty at all. Not as packed as it was on weekends, sure, but there were a few boys loitering around Buck's makeshift bar.

Ellie's eyes travelled around the room. "Does your daddy own this..." She was searching for the word. "Bar?"

"Nah, he does." He pointed to Merrill behind the counter, arguing with some kid. "He's my rodeo partner. But mostly he bootlegs and runs this place."

Ellie followed him up the steps of a rickety staircase. "Oh? But you live here?"

"Upstairs." Dally knew what she was dying to ask him. Where was his parents and why didn't they care that he lived over a seedy, crappy bar on the edge of town? But he didn't want to give her the satisfaction of knowing. He was trying his best to be friendly because she was willing enough to spare a joint and because she had annoyingly wormed her way into the hearts of his friends. But that didn't mean he was gunna open himself up like a book. Especially for a chick that wasn't doing it with him.

She wavered at the door of his room. She did that a lot: hesitate.

"Sit down on the bed." Dallas commanded, "You're freaking me out, standing there. And don't look at me like that. I ain't gunna pounce on you, so relax."

Ellie nearly tiptoed over to his bed and perched herself on the end of the mattress like she was afraid to touch anything. "I've never been in a boy's room before."

Dallas rifled through the stuff cluttered atop his dresser. He knew he had papers somewhere. When he was fifteen he had smoked pot on a regular, but over the years the appeal had softened and at seventeen he hadn't lit one up for a few months.

"No shit. Is it what you expected?" He asked absentmindedly.

"Actually, it's cleaner than expected."

Dallas shrugged. "I don't hang out here a lot. Downstairs is usually where the entertainment is."

"Of course." She giggled, finally relaxing, and leaned back so that she was propped up on her elbows. She didn't seem to notice that her dress was riding up, but Dallas definitely did.

"I've never been to a bar, either."

"I could tell." Dally told her, popping the joint between his lips and bringing his zippo to the tip. He could feel Ellie's eyes burning into the side of his face.

He sighed. "You're a god-damn Virgin Mary."

"Am not!" Ellie huffed, "You guys think I haven't done one bad thing in my life, don't you? I'm from Chicago, I've seen stuff, done stuff..."

There was no stopping the gravely peals of laughter jumping from Dally's throat. "Kiddo, I bet you haven't ever even kissed a boy."

"Yes I have. I was in a play in seventh grade and-"

Another bout of chuckles. "No way does a kiss for a play count."

"Well then, when was your first time?"

"Like I can even remember that kind of shit."

"Everyone remembers their first kiss!" Dallas took another toke.

"Not me. Want a huff?"

She shook her head reverently. "I don't do drugs."

In his best imitation of her griping falsetto voice, he repeated her words, "I'm from Chicago! I've seen stuff, I've done stuff!"

"I don't sound like that!" She squealed, giving him another light whack on his forearm. Why he let her hit him was a mystery. "And okay, so I haven't exactly... done anything, but I have seen things! My brother is always stashing drugs around the house. One time when I was ten, I found a pound of cocaine in the garage. When my dad saw it in my hands, he went berserk. I don't think my brother came home for a whole week. They fight a lot, anyway. Mum says it's because Danny reminds dad of himself when he was young. But I think dad's trying to straighten him out by bringing him into the family business."

Dallas groaned and laid down, his feet dangling off the edge of his bed. His back ached his head was beginning to hurt as well. "Anyone ever tell you that you talk too much?"

"All the time." Ellie tilted her head and smiled down at him. "Would you rather we talk about you?"

Dally looked away and she sat back up so all he could see was her back. She really was such a skinny thing. She wouldn't stand a chance in a fight, that's for sure. Then again, he couldn't really picture her riling anyone up enough to get in one. She was too docile. Dallas liked girls with some fire in them. He didn't have to step around those types of girls. He could be rough, mean Dally Winston and they wouldn't bat an eyelash.

"I thought so." She paused once more, "Anyway. Mum doesn't really care about what Danny does. She's always too busy fussing over me, making sure I grow up to be the 'perfect lady'. I don't mind the shopping trips or the girl's nights out so much. But sometimes she gets into these moods where all she wants to do is nag about me getting better grades because men don't like total airheads that can't keep a conversation. Or that I need to start cooking more and keep my room clean 'cause no one will wanna marry me if I don't know how to be a house-keeper. But then she started on pageants and-"

Dally, who had been utterly bored previously, sat up and grinned. "Hold on, pageants?"

"Yes! Pageants!" Ellie tried on her best irritable look, but it came off as dour instead. "With the gaudy dresses and the stiff hair and those ugly, ugly dress suits!"

"Did'ja ever win one?"

Ellie sighed. "No, and mum never let's me forget it. She even called a few days ago and tried to convince me to join some here. I nearly hung up on her."

Dallas' joint was dwindling. Briefly, he wondered if this was what it would be like to be a soc. Inviting soft little girls into his room and not even touching them. Having to sit there and bare it while they rattled on and on about things that didn't even matter. Then he thought about what it would be like if Ellie was just a little less pure and a little more tainted. If she flirted and drank and smoked and fought like a real greaser girl. He thought about sleeping with her, as well. Yet somehow the idea of it made him dislike her even more. There was a loud bang on the door and then the rattle of the knob.

"Oi, Dally! I can smell that shit from a mile away!"

Like a spooked rabbit, Ellie kicked her feet up so that her knees were pushing into her chest, revealing even more of the creamy skin on her thighs.

"Calm down." Dally crawled lethargically towards the door and swung it open.

A boy a little taller and older than him strode inside. His hair was as black as coal and he had the most ragged scar running across the side of his face. "Where's the grass?"

"None left." Dallas told him with hostility. Even if he did have more, there was no way he was going to share with the likes of Tim Shepherd.

"Bullshit." Tim's attention locked on the frightened creature huddled on his bed. "Screwing around behind Sylvia's back with a soc, Dally?"

_Now_ Dally remembered why he didn't smoke pot so much any more- it just made him tired. "No. And if she thinks I am tomorrow then I'll be comin' for you, Tim."

Shepherd wasn't listening. "Hey pretty lady. Odd day for you to be slumming. You aught to come back on the weekend when the place is really kickin'."

Dallas caught her fearful gaze. Taking one last puff, he jerked his head towards the open door. "Go on home now, kiddo."

At the sound of his voice, Ellie ripped her eyes away from the scar on Tim's face to catch Dally in her grey orbs once more.

"Okay." She answered obediently, uncurling herself from the bed. When she scurried past Tim he tried smacking her ass, but Dallas grabbed his hand just in time and Ellie didn't notice.

At the threshold of his room, she turned her head and gave him a cautious smile. "See you around, Dallas."

The boys waited until they could hear the sound of her car tracking slowly down the road.

"She doesn't seem to be your type." Tim commented.

Dallas shook his head and moved towards his mattress. He felt like he could sleep for years. "Nah. Girls like that are too innocent to be any fun."

"Dallas, Dallas, Dallas." Shepard grinned, stealing a smoke from the top of his dresser. "That's the whole point of girls like that. You get to taint them."

* * *

**Sup. So something FINALLY happened! Wow! Moving forward on the plot, finally! I wasn't sure if that whole touchy-touchy scene was too fast but I never really figured Dallas to be the type to wait. If he sees an opportunity to get laid, he'll take it. Anyway, I think I made it pretty clear that he wasn't really into her just yet. Also sorry if the editing/ format is shit. I'm using someone else's computer and they don't have word etc etc. What else? OH sorry if you aren't into drugs. But I don't think it would be too out of character for most of those kids to have smoked pot before. I mean, they steal and fight and are in jail 50% of the time. Anyway, the drugs were a necessary addition because of reasons that I won't say just yet. But lemme tell you, even if it seems like I'm rambling on about boring facts, I'm actually foreshadowing. Theres actually a buttload of foreshadowing in these chapters.**

**DON'T DO DRUGS KIDS ITS OVERRATED TRUST ME!**

**_Anyway! Thank you everyone for the reviews! I know the last chapter was pretty boring, so thanks for all of you who stuck with me anyway! Please remember to review on anything and everything! Grammar, OOCs, story flow! Anything! And if you guys want to see something happen, tell me! I might sneak it in!_**


	5. Stylo

5.

"Lord, heal!"

The dog gave her an audacious stare and trotted further away to urinate on a park bush. Ellie shut her eyes away from the glaring sun, sighed, and reopened them. Lady gave her hand an affectionate nudge. Ellie returned it with a scratch behind her ear, wondering why the Rottweiler never let her pet him like Lady did. Lord was Danny's, technically, and Ellie had a sneaking suspicion that her brother had been taking his pet to dog fights. There was no way that gnawed ear came from lounging around in the yard.

As she did almost every day, Ellie had taken the two beasts to the local park only a fifteen minute walk away from her home. She felt bad for being gone for long periods of time, knowing her grandmother didn't pay them any attention and they were used to the expansive lawn back home. The daily walks allowed them to stretch their legs and kept them from tearing into each other. Ellie enjoyed them as well. Without her grandmother to argue with or people to impress she had time to sort out her life. Not that there was a lot to sort... most of her days were spent in solitude; drama-free. The boys were nice and always asking her to tag along to things, but Ellie figured they'd have more fun without the new girl chasing after them.

"Lord, get back here boy." Ellie ran her thumb over the metal choker in her hand. She hated the thought of using it, but Lord was always ignoring her and she knew that there was a serious threat of him running off-

Which was exactly what he did.

Ellie wavered in spot, unsure of what she should do. "Uh... Oh! Get him Lady!"

Lady took off in a heartbeat. Even with Lord's five second head start, his female counterpart was infinitely faster and had caught up to him just as they rounded the corner of a building, out of Ellie's sight.

"Lord! Come back here!" She shrieked with all her might, ignoring the looks she got from a passing couple. If her mother was there she would have scolded her for being so unrefined.

There was a loud commotion behind the corner store the dogs had rounded and Ellie willed herself to run faster. If Lord bit someone they'd have to put him down and she was positive she wouldn't be able to handle that. Too much had changed in her life already. Dropping everything for an impromptu road-trip across two states wasn't exactly in her to-do list, and neither was having to leave her friends and family behind. So, yes, he was a rough, cold, beast of a dog, but she'd weep like a child if she had to loose him too. She only had a handful of things that reminded her of home, and Lord was one of them.

Gasping for breath, Ellie arrived in the parking lot of the store just as a car raced by, nearly flattening her in the process. Lady had Lord's neck in her jaw and was trying her best to wrestle him into submission. What was more terrifying was the sight of Johnny Cade sprawled across the pavement, Ponyboy crouched over him.

Almost immediately, tears began to spring from Ellie's eyes. "I'm so sorry!"

Johnny let out a little chuckle as Ellie dropped down beside Ponyboy and inspected his bloody elbow. "Don't worry about it."

"He doesn't usually go off like that..." She turned her head and stuck her finger out at the two fighting dogs. "Lord, you bad, bad boy!"

She wanted to punish the dog more severely, but she didn't have it in her to do anything but that. Even her strictest voice sounded flimsy.

"Actually, he sort of did us a favour." Ponyboy helped Johnny up while Ellie put Lord on the choker. The dog gave a little growl but didn't resist. "If it wasn't for him, those socs would'a jumped us."

Ellie wiped away stray tears and eyed the boys. They didn't look too roughed up, and there definitely wasn't any bite marks that she could see. "Jumped you? Why would they jump you?"

"They don't need a reason to." Johnny explained, tugging his plaid shirt-sleeve over the minor cut. "Just need to see us at the wrong place at the wrong time."

Ellie watched a smile tug at Ponyboy's face as Lady sniffed at his hand. He gave her snout a weary pat, like he was nervous that she might open her maw and take a bite.

"If Lord hadn't come and chased them off, we would'a been in trouble. I've never seen socs run so fast before."

Ellie sighed and unleashed the dog with a little pat. "That's Lord for you. Can't resist a good fight. He used to jump the fence and maul cats back home."

As if he knew he was being spoken about, Lord sent her another scathing look and shook out his coat.

"You should clean that cut." Ellie told Johnny. "It might get infected."

The boys shared a look. She couldn't pinpoint what it meant exactly, but she couldn't deny that it startled and saddened her anyway. Ellie wasn't oblivious. She knew Johnny's parents fought a lot and the boy probably got caught in it. But what could she do? His gang looked out for him the best they could, and it wasn't her business to get involved. She was just the new kid down the street, not his best friend, and definitely not his savior. Even if he opened up to her about it, she wouldn't know what to say. Her father, though often tough on his son, had always been too calm and collected to raise a hand at his family. If there was a disagreement, he'd get his way by default as man of the house.

"I'd had worse." Johnny insisted as they made their way out of the parking lot and back towards the park.

"Do you guys get jumped by socs a lot?"

"Sure, when they get bored enough to cross the tracks and cause trouble." Ponyboy told her. Lady seemed to have taken a liking to the boy and was licking and nipping his hand for more petting. "But sometimes it's other greaser kids trying to rob us or scare us outta their gang's territory."

Ellie's eyebrows rose up. "Gangs? You have gangs here?"  
"Well sure." Johnny nodded, "There's our gang-"

"Now you're telling me that your in a gang?" Ellie halted and set them with the most exaggeratedly horrified expression. "I thought you two were good boys!"

Ponyboy crossed his arms over his chest and leaned back slightly. "Good? Johnnycake and I are just two regular JDs and hoods! You should see our criminal records. They're as long as Santa's naughty and nice list!"

"Oh yeah." Johnny smiled, "Every night we go out and get in rumbles, slash tires, and harass pretty girls."

Ellie giggled as they started walking again. "Oh yeah? Then how come you haven't harassed me?"

"He said pretty girls, Ellie."

She lightly whipped him on the arm with the leash and the boys burst into snickers.

"Who's in your big bad gang then?" She asked once they had settled down.

"Just us two, Darry, Soda, Steve, Two-Bit, and Dally." Ponyboy said, "But we're not at all bad compared to other gangs like the Brumly Boys, or The River Kings, or Tim Shepard's Gang. We're more like friends that stick close together."

Ellie remembered the man with a feral eyes and brutal scar at Dallas' door last week. He had a gang? He didn't look older than twenty! "I met Tim Shepard the other night. He and Dallas are friends, right?"

Johnny snorted. "When they aren't fighting each other to the death."

They had passed through the park and were wandering around the streets. Ellie liked looking at the houses, even if they weren't the prettiest or tidiest. She liked to think that the cracks and ugly paint jobs just gave them character. There seemed to be a lot of that on this side of town.

"I don't get this town." She told them with a sigh. "You're all so rough and tough. I thought it would be quiet here."

Lady had given up on getting attention from Ponyboy and had leapt away to annoy Lord.

"I bet it's not as exciting as Chicago." Johnny commented. He was always asking her about life back home. Ellie could tell he had a real yearning to get out of Tulsa.

"Probably not." Ellie smiled meekly, "But I'm not exactly an expert on the rough sides of that city. My dad wouldn't let me out of the suburbs. He'd have chained me to the house if he could. But my brother could disappear for a night, come back drunk, and dad wouldn't say a word."

Ponyboy got a faraway look on his face. "Your dad must really love you."

"Yeah." Ellie smiled at the thought of him. He was build strong and tall, with the same brown hair and grey eyes as her. They used to be close when Ellie was a baby, but eventually he had to focus his time on his business and the son that was to inherit it. She didn't even get to say goodbye when she left for Tulsa. "I can't wait to see him again."

"When do you think you'll go back?" Johnny asked as they cut through someone's yard to get onto the street Ellie and Ponyboy lived on.

Ellie shrugged. "I don't know. It could take months, or it could take years. Or maybe never again. Maybe mum and dad'll move back here. But I can't imagine that they'll leave me alone for very long."

"Why'd your mum not come here with you?"

"I'm not sure," Ellie told them, "She used to live here a long time ago. It's where she met my dad, but I don't think she likes Tulsa very much. Too many memories, she said."

"Hey kids." Steve greeted them from his perch on the Curtis' fence. "Pony, Darry's been looking for you. Something about him getting a call from school."

Ponyboy moaned loudly and ran his fingers through his slick hair. "Awe man. How mad is he?"

Steve made a face. "Actually, he's annoyingly happy."

"What did you do, Ponyboy?" Johnny asked, "Get first place in track?"

Ponyboy hussled inside without responding.

"Hey Soc." Steve set his eyes on Ellie. He didn't smile much at her, but she got the feeling that he didn't hate her or anything. "How's it going?"

She smiled sweetly. "Going good. What about you?"

"Fantastic, actually." The boy stuck his smoke in his mouth and stretched. "I hear you've been hanging around a lot. Especially with Johnny, Pony, and Two-Bit."

Johnny hiked himself up on the fence, swaying unsteadily beside his friend. "She comes by the back parking lot at school quite a lot. You should see the stares she gets for it."

"That's greasers territory." Steve explained to Ellie's confused expression.

Johnny nodded. "Two-Bit likes to say she looks like a posh little lamb walking into a wolf den."

"I do not." Ellie rolled her eyes. "And you tell Two-Bit to stop talkin' bout me."

"He can't." Johnny grinned, "I think he's smitten."

"The only thing Mathews has ever been smitten with is a bottle of booze and Micky Mouse." Steve interjected.

Ellie chatted with the boys a little longer before gathering the dogs and heading home. She would have stayed but the sun was rising higher in the sky and she thought she might get heat stroke if she didn't get a drink of something cold in her.

"Your father called." Her grandmother informed her as she stepped inside. The older woman was glued to the couch, as usual. She didn't have much energy to do much else these days. Instead of helping her condition, moving here seemed only to worsen her. "He wanted to leave a message but god knows I can't remember that kind of crap."

Ellie's stomach plummeted at the thought of missing her father's call. Her mother kept in contact at least four times a week, and when Ellie tried to call only her brother had ever answered. But she wanted to hear her father's steady voice, not her mother's reprimanding or her brother's clipped tone. She wanted to hear that everything would fall into place again... That she would see her family as a whole once more.

She took a long, cold shower to wash off all the Tulsa dust and to stop herself from crying. When she got out, Sylvia was sitting on her bed, mini-skirt and all.

"Get dressed, Soc." She flicked her cigarette ash onto the corner of Ellie's nightstand. "We're going out tonight."

* * *

**Um, thanks everyone for the zero reviews on my last chapter? If there was something everyone hated about it, please tell me! I can easily go back and revise... Anyway, posted this chapter because it's tiny and just a filler. Another bigger and more interesting chapter will be posted on monday/sunday like usual.**

**If there is ANYTHING you _do_ like or_ dont _like, please tell me! I write to improve, so help me improve! All reviews are welcome!_  
_**


	6. Do You Wanna?

6\. "Um?" Ellie stuttered, tightening her towel around her very, very vulnerable body. "Did my grandma let you in?"

Sylvia raised one perfect eyebrow. "You have a grandmother?"

She shifted her weight from one foot to the other, nervous. But Sylvia didn't seem at all uncomfortable as she assessed her from head to toe.

Ellie scuttled nervously to her dresser and fished out her underwear. "Do you mind?" She asked the other girl, indicating that she wanted her to look away.

Sylvia scoffed loudly, took the edge of her towel, and yanked.

"What are you doing?" Ellie screamed, trying to cover her feminine parts. "Give me my towel!"

"Calm down. I'm just trying to see what I'm working with." Sylvia snatched the panties from her. "Ugh, there is no way I'm letting you outside this house in virgin-girl underwear."

Ellie picked up her towel from her bed and re-wrapped it more securely. She could just imagine how red her face was. "And where are you taking me? And also, why? I mean, I've only talked to you a few times at school and now your breaking into my house?"

"It's a surprise." Sylvia smirked playfully and got up from the bed to rifle through Ellie's drawers and closet. "And I've always been one for theatrics."

Ellie sat down in front of her vanity and watched Sylvia compare two of her dresses. Her small room was mostly white with touches of baby blue. A twin-size bed had been shoved to one side so that there was enough room for the vanity and dresser, a strip of creamy carpet in between. It was quaint, airy, and feminine. But her room in Chicago is what she yearned for. She could even picture it- the childish pink walls; books and records coating the soft white carpet; stuffed animals and nick-nacks she had gathered and hoarded over the years scattered all around... not to mention all the clothes and jewellery she had to leave behind.

In either room, Sylvia did not belong. Not in her red pumps and not with the cat-eyes nearly touching her brows. She was like something out of hollywood... like a rougher, riskier Marilyn Monroe in knock-off shoes.

"The problem is..." She pressed one dress to her chest to see how it would look on her. "These hems just won't do."

"My mum doesn't like me wearing anything above the knees." Ellie explained.

Sylvia threw her head back in a moment of exasperation. "Who _cares_ about your mom?"

Ellie shrunk back. "I do?"

"Well now you don't." Sylvia placed a hand on her ample chest. "Who needs a mother when you have me?"

She turned back to the closet. "Where are your pants?"

"Uh, I don't have any pants."

Sylvia pulled a red skirt out of a hanger and threw it at Ellie. "Let me guess, your mother won't let you wear jeans because they'll entice the devil or something? Put that skirt on."

Ellie was allowed to pick out her own underwear and bra while Sylvia grumbled on about the horrors of chastity. The shirt the greaser girl had chosen was as tight, black, and low-cut as Ellie's mother would ever allow, which meant it might as well have been an extra large turtle-neck in Sylvia's opinion.

"Wait, your wearing it all wrong." Sylvia crouched and folded Ellie's skirt waistband over and over until the hem brushed a few inches up her thighs. Then she tugged her shirt down so low that Ellie was sure one of her breasts would pop out. "There. That's much better, don't you think? Now come and sit down by the vanity. I'm going to do up your hair so big it'll look like you stuffed a football in there."

By the time Sylvia had finished day had turned to night. Ellie's hair had grown a few inches upwards and was curled up at the ends, while her face was so heavily covered in makeup that she was scared of touching it.

"I look..." Ellie could think of millions of words that could describe her appearance, but none of them would earn her any brownie points. "Like..."

Sylvia fixed a stray hair on her new doll's head. "You look like fun, darling."

"I didn't look fun before?" Ellie asked, getting shoved unceremoniously out of her seat so Sylvia could redo her lipstick. "'Cause I was going for a mod look."

Sylvia smacked her lips and ran her finger along the edge of her lower lip. "Mod, sure. But it also looks like your fashionist-a mother dresses you to be an eternal ten-year old. You might as well slap some pig-tails on you."

Ellie didn't know whether or not she should be insulted. It wasn't as if she was wrong. Her mother had the final say in every garment that ever touched her body, and though her tastes were impeccable, both mother and father were like guardians of purity and modesty. They'd probably arranged her marriage, if they could. Or never have her marry at all.

"I can't go out like this..." Ellie mumbled, taking a good look at the amount of exposed thigh. "It's not _me_... And it's asking for things that I... don't want."

Sylvia was clearly loosing patience. "You think you're asking for sex? Trust me, kiddo, boys are beasts and they're much more attracted to saintly little virgins than they are to used-and-abused girls like me. Nothing's better than a shiny new toy to ruin."

"But..." Ellie faltered. She didn't have much experience with the opposite sex except for her brother and his friends, and she might as well have been invisible to them. Even her old school had been all-girls.

Sylvia threw over a pair of heels and sighed. "Honey, they like the way you squeal and blush when they grab your ass. So put on those damn shoes. And trust me, because the only kind of person that's gonna look out for you here are your girlfriends."

Ellie complied with a long sigh and as they walked down the stairs, Sylvia wrapped a thin arm around her shoulder.

"And anyway," Sylvia grinned, "Don't you ever get bored of being so good?"

* * *

By half past nine, Ellie was being stuffed into a car filled with a handful of other girls. Sylvia took up the passenger seat beside a blonde, two beers already sitting open in the cup-holders beside her. In the back, Ellie, Evie, Angel shared awkward hellos.

"This is Kathy." Sylvia nodded to the driver. "She's dating Two-Bit."

The girl waved her hand, a cigarette lit in his fingers. "Not dating. Not tonight."

"What happened now?" Angel asked as they raced down the street. "God knows he didn't dump you."

Kathy took a large gulp of beer and Ellie tried to focus on the scenery passing through her window. She was pretty sure drinking and driving was a bad mix, but she didn't want to be the girl to point it out, either. Anyway, wasn't tonight about fitting in, trusting, and risks? Isn't that why she had so reluctantly agreed to being dragged outside? In theory, she could do whatever she wanted in Tulsa and leave a few months later to Chicago, no one the wiser.

"Of course not." Kathy told her, "But it's girl's night and there's no fun in girl's night unless you're single."

"You broke up with him so you could sleep around for a day?" Evie asked dubiously, "That's some high-class shit right there, Kathy."

Kathy flicked her ash out the window and didn't say anything.

"Come on, Katherine." Sylvia coaxed, "Spill the dirt. Did he hit you or something? Do we need to put the claws to this guy's balls?"

Sylvia scratched at the air like a cat. There was a thick, silver ring encircling her thumb loosely.

"I don't understand how Penny can stand him." Kathy growled, stomping on the break as they hit a red light. "All he does is drink and make stupid fucking jokes."

The girls laughed and Ellie smiled politely, as hesitant as ever.

"Kathy!" Angel giggled as they sped across the intersection, "All _you_ do is drink and make stupid jokes!"

Sylvia smirked and took the smoke out of the driver's hand. "You're made for each other, face it."

"Fuck that!" Kathy spat, though she didn't seem so mad any more. "Like hell am I gunna end up with a dead-beat like him."

Sylvia turned around to wink humorously at the girls.

"Kathy's been saying the same shit for three years now." Evie whispered in Ellie's ear, "But I guarantee he'll be the only boy she goes home with tonight."

They sped past the DX, but it seemed that Steve and Soda had gone home for the night. Then Will Rogers High, The Dingo... the city lights began to fade in the rear-view window and Ellie could tell they we'rent headed down town.

"Where are we going, anyway?"

"Bonfire at Jimmy Andrew's backyard." Angel replied. "Almost everyone's going. Even some of the Brumly Boys."

Sylvia turned her head and bit her lip to stop herself from smiling. "Your brother gunna be there?"

Instantly, Angel soured. "Yeah, and so is Dally. You remember him, right? He's the malicious, barbaric, deranged boy you happen to be dating?"

"Rings a bell." Sylvia answered breezily. "But I think I might just take a page out of Kathy's book. After all, girls night just isn't girls night if your being chained down, right?"

Ellie shifted nervously in her seat and stared out the window again. She didn't like the way these girls were talking about sleeping around, especially since they were supposed to be the girlfriends of the boys that had been so kind to her. Well, not so much Dally, but that didn't mean he deserved to be cheated on.

"Sylvia, you slut." Angel hissed, "I swear to god, if you touch any of my brothers I will claw your eyes out. Tim had to go to the ER last year! All because you can't keep your legs closed!"

"Calm down, Jesus." Sylvia turned back to face the wind-shield. "I can't help it if they can't resist me."

Ellie was suddenly very confused. "You sent a boy to the ER by... sleeping with him?"

Another bout of giggles erupted and Ellie blushed furiously.

"No! _Dallas Winston_ sent Tim to the ER. Caught Sylvia in his own bed with him." Evie told her.

"What did he do?" Ellie questioned, eyes wide.

"Took him outside." Sylvia stated. She seemed almost proud of her misadventure. "The switchblades came out almost immediately. They didn't even talk. Tim knows what he did, so he didn't make a fuss about fighting. But I could tell he was concerned about how far Dally would go. He always fights dirty."

"And that's exactly why you won't even _look_ at Tim tonight." Angel stated sternly. She was two years younger, but Ellie was surprised to see the alpha-female shimmering from her as she spoke to Sylvia.

"Wait, your brother is Tim...Shepard?"

Angel instantly sweetened as she turned to chat with Ellie. "Yep! Have you met him?"

The memory of that night where she had found herself in Dallas' lap, his hands on her waist and bum, burned through her head, accompanied with the hazy image of Tim standing at his bedroom door. Not only had Dally been the first boy to ever touch her in a sexual way, but he also still had her brother's weed. She made a mental note to ask for it back... not that she'd _purposely_ look for him that night. Nope. Ellie had decided that Dallas Winston was entirely too much trouble to associate herself with.

"Briefly." Ellie mumbled quietly. But the girls had misunderstood her blush.

"Oh my god!" Evie shrieked loudly. "Do you have a crush on him?"

"No!" Ellie stammered, but it only fuelled the fire

"You so do." Angel crossed her arms over her chest. "I really don't know what you girls see in him. He's such a boring brick, I'm pretty sure he doesn't even have emotions. He doesn't even smile."

Kathy grinned. "That's it, right there. Girls like the mystery."

"I think your confusing idiocy for mystery. He doesn't reveal anything about himself because there is nothing to reveal."

"And don't even act like you wouldn't go for him if he wasn't related to you." Evie shoved her shoulder teasingly.

Angel shoved her back with as much force as her tiny body could muster. "That is revolting!"

Eventually Kathy pulled up to a house just on the outskirts of town. The lot they parked in was already half filled with beat-up trucks and rusty cars, barricading a gang of kids drinking by the porch. Beyond that, a golden glow cast the house in shadows, but Ellie could see the spattering of trees and expanse of fields surrounding the property, eliminated by starlight. Getting out, Ellie immediately regretting ever leaving her room. Her exposed skin combined with the night air had made her erupt in goose-bumps, and it wasn't helping that her heals were sinking into the soft dirt. The other girls seemed to be having the same problems, yet they took it like troopers and didn't complain as they slowly but surely trekked their way to the backyard. Greaser teens swarmed the area, drinking, laughing, flirting, and dancing to the rock music blasting from two open-door trucks. In the middle was a bonfire so big that it could have licked the roof of the house if it was close enough. Even then, a few boys were pouring gasoline and logs into it for kicks.

"God," Evie groaned, "I'm two dozen feet away from the thing, and I'm _still_ sweating like a pig."

Kathy mumbled something under her breath about Evie _being_ a pig, winking impishly at Ellie when they caught each other's eye.

"Oh, there's Steve!" Evie was immediately recharged at the sight of him sauntering over, Two-Bit at his heels with a cigarette hanging from his exasperating smirk.

Steve took Evie in his arms and they kissed so ardently that Ellie had to blush and look away. She always pictured her own kiss –her first one- to be at her front door after dinner and a movie. He'd be a tall blonde and it would be light and airy and she'd dream about it over and over.

"You look…different." Steve told Ellie after he had properly greeted his girlfriend. Somewhere behind them, Two-Bit was arguing with Sylvia and Kathy. Where Angel had disappeared to was a mystery.

Ellie smiled widely and tugged her top up a little. During the car ride she had been subtly unrolling her skirt so that it at least covered her bum. "Thanks? Sylvia got her hands on me."

Evie nodded appreciatively. "She does that to everyone. It's practically a rite of passage for all the newbies. Well, the newbies she likes."

"Welcome to Tulsa, hope you enjoy your stay." Kathy added sarcastically, having decided to ignore her new ex.

"What do you do to the newbies you don't like?" Ellie asked Sylvia.

"Skin them," She stated without missing a beat. "And eat 'em whole."

Two-Bit wandered over to Ellie's side, totally unperturbed from his spat with Kathy. "It's true; I've seen her do it. Can you imagine, Sylvia having a dark- well, _darker_ side?"

He pretended to shiver and then looked down as if he had just discovered Ellie's existence. Ruffling her hair, Two-Bit greeted her with a, "Howdy, Princess."

"That's a new one." Ellie commented, "Usually it's just 'Soc'."

His eyes roved over her body in an entirely uncomfortable way, amplified by Kathy's glower. "Yeah well, Socs certainly don't dress like _that_."

It took all Ellie's might not to cover her chest with her arms and run all the way home. She felt entirely too exposed. Maybe she wouldn't have minded if Two-Bit had given her that look when she was fully dressed, but now she only felt like a piece of meat. "I feel silly."

Two-Bit broke his heated stare-down with Kathy and latched onto Ellie's hand, pulling her closer to the bonfire. "I can fix that. Come on, Princess."

"Where are you taking me, Keith Mathews?" Ellie said, trying to be stern. "It better not be any place secluded, because there is no way I'm doing… things with you just to make Kathy jealous."

Two-Bit turned his head to blink innocently at her. "What things? Oh! You mean getting it on? Go all the way? Nail? Screw? Score? Get down and dirty? Boff? Get Laid? Hide the sausage? Fu-"

"Yes!" Ellie shrieked with a laugh. "Please, don't go on!"

Two-Bit dragged her to the side of one of the trucks and popped open a cooler. "Get your head out of the gutter, you dirty bird. All I'm trying to do is get you drunk."

"I don't really drink." Ellie told him sheepishly, accepting the beer anyway.

"You don't drink at all," Two-Bit corrected her as he took his own. "But you're gunna start."

"Am I now?"

He nodded enthusiastically and placed a hand on his heart. "I've decided to take it upon myself to sully your good girl reputation tonight."

Ellie raised an eyebrow. "But without… what's the word you used? Boff? Without boffing."

He rolled his eyes dramatically. "Alright, alright, I guess I can be flexible." He smirked devilishly, "But then you have to make sacrifices too."

Ellie stared nervously at her drink. "Fine, just a few sips won't hurt me, I guess."

"Dally!" Two-Bit hollered, ignoring her. "Come over here, buddy!"

Ellie looked over her shoulder. Dallas, half hidden by the flames, had been chatting up a girl (that was distinctly not Sylvia) and didn't look too pleased to be interrupted.

"What?" He growled, pausing to get a good look at Ellie as he approached. "Huh. You look different, kiddo."

Ellie flushed deeply and turned away, clutching desperately to her beer can for some kind of support.

"Right?" Two-Bit said, entirely too gleeful. "I've decided to destroy her innocence tonight... not including sex."

Dallas scoffed. "I thought that was the only way to do it."

"The both of you," Two-Bit shook his head tragically, "So filthy-minded."

"Whatever. What do you want, you idiot? And shouldn't you be harassing Kathy into getting back with you right about now?"

"I am." The mischievous boy tilted his head to where Kathy was sitting by the fire. "Don't think I haven't noticed Miss Hawk-eye over there."

Ellie whimpered. "She's going to kill me."

"Nah." Two-Bit said offhandedly. "All right Dally, we're gunna teach our little Soc how to shotgun. Bet they don't show you that at prep school, do they?"

* * *

"Holy shit." Dallas muttered disbelievingly. "Ellie, are you even tipsy?"

She shrugged. "What's it supposed to feel like?"

"Like happiness." Two-Bit told her. Having been pre-drinking since noon, he was already sauced when he arrived. The beer drinking competition they had ended up playing between the three of them hadn't helped either. "And like you just wanna talk and talk and talk and never shut up."

"That's her on a regular day." Dally laughed, pushing himself up onto the cab of the truck they had been leaning on.

"I don't think I'm drunk." Ellie straightened herself with a grin. "I'm impervious to your sullying, Keith Mathews."

He groaned so loudly and theatrically that he got dirty looks from a few passing kids. "You shot gunned two cans! A girl like you should be plastered out of her mind!"

Dallas pointed vaguely to the wet mud at their feet. "Most of it went on her shirt and the floor, actually."

"Well, sorry I'm not an expert on being a party animal." Ellie grumbled, trying to ring the booze out of the edge of her skirt. She didn't think her clothes could cling to her any closer, but she had been wrong.

"Hm," Two-Bit commented, "That's got to be the first sarcastic thing you've ever said."

She let out a breathy laugh. "Maybe I'm a mean drunk."

Dallas dragged the cooler towards him and began to search through it. "Shots. She needs shots."

But before he could stuff any more booze into their systems, Kathy stalked up to Two-Bit and slapped him so hard that Ellie just knew he'd have a swollen cheek by tomorrow. When he straightened, there were two long scratches running the side of his face.

"Hey Katharine, how are you?" He asked, wiping the blood away with the back of his hand.

At once, she exploded in tears and tried to get another hit on him. "You asshole, Keith Mathews!"

"Uh?" Ellie squeaked and nervously dodged the couple, scrambling onto the back of the truck with Dallas where it was safer. "Should we stop them?"

He shook his head. "I'm not going to, are you?"

"Do I look like I could take on that?" Ellie asked, gesturing frantically to her frail body.

"Well," Dallas took out a bottle of cola-colored booze. "To be honest, you look like you couldn't take a strong gust of wind."

"I know, why do you think I have guard dogs?"

Dallas took a short swig and then passed it over to her. "Drink. You're just starting to sound funny."

"I was funny before." Ellie whined, taking a sniff. "Ew! Why does booze have to smell so awful?"

"Shut up and drink."

"Stop trying to get me drunk." She shot back and took a gulp of the liquor purely out of irritation. A fire erupted in the back of her throat and she started coughing heavily. Laughing, he patted her back carelessly and took another swig of the bottle.

"If you need to hurl, it better not be on me, kiddo."

She wasn't sure how long she sat there with him, taking more and more gulps until her throat was burning up so bad that she was sure she'd have to get a new one. The fire had began to dwindle and Two-Bit and Kathy had gone to settle their differences in the house.

"I'm very drunk now." She told Dallas matter-of-factly. "What should I do?"

He bit the inside of his cheek and Ellie's eyes wandered over to his lips- a ghostly sensation of rough fingers sliding briefly against the back of her thighs sent another bout of goose-bumps across her flesh, though this time it wasn't from the cold. Gosh! Why'd he have to grab her in the car that night? Now it was all she could think about! If only another boy (one that wasn't rude and rough and dating Sylvia) would do the same. Maybe she wouldn't be so hung up on Dallas, then.

"After I get drunk I usually get laid." Dally mumbled, "Or get in a fight."

Ellie set her jaw. "I don't think either of those things are on my agenda tonight."

A flirtatious smirk stretched on his face and he wiggled an arm around her waist to pull her closer. "You sure?"

_Don't!_ She wanted to scream, _you're making me too nervous!_ "I'm positive. Anyway, I don't think I'm your type of girl."

"Right." He released her and stood with the bottle in his hands, searching the crowd. "You see that broad I was talkin' to earlier?"

Ellie crawled to the other side of the trunk so she could see a little better. "No. But hey, there's Angle-," She giggled, "I mean, Angel."

Dallas cast a look at her. "Huh. You gunna survive all alone over here, kiddo?"

"What?" She pouted, "You're leaving me for someone who'll put out?"

He ran a hand through his hair. "Goddamn, stop pouting. And I'm leaving you to take out my revenge on Tim, who is currently talking up my girl."

Ellie shuffled a little closer to look around the fire pit. Just past the flames, Sylvia could be seen on Tim Shepard's lap, one hand in his hair and the other slowly running down his chest.

"Oh. Revenge away, then."

Dallas hopped down and the truck bounced from the release of weight. Making to leave, he hesitated and then wandered over to stand in front of her. "Don't wander off with any boy you don't know, got it?"

She smiled. "Yes Daddy."

He made a noise in his throat that sounded a bit like a growl. "Don't take any drinks from strangers."

"Yes Daddy."

"And don't drink any more. I ain't taking you to the hospital if you get alcohol poisoning."

"Yes-"

He grumbled again and gave her a dirty look. "Don't call me Daddy. It's creepy."

Ellie erupted in laughter and Dallas sauntered off with an eye roll.

Regularly she didn't like being left alone. But the booze running through her system was doing funny things to her and for now, she was content with sitting there and watching the greaser kids at play. They were so different from her… so untamed and expressional. When they were mad, they fought. When they were happy, they laughed abundantly. When they hurt, they would scream it into the sky. It was like nothing held them back- there was nothing to loose. And perhaps that was the case. If there was one thing she had learned about greasers, it was that almost none of them had any strong parental influences. Maybe they had never been taught the difference between right and wrong, or going too far, or doing too little. Maybe that's why so many of them were drop-outs and jail-birds.

It was near midnight and Ellie was half asleep in the back of a stranger's pickup when Tim grabbed the scruff of Dallas' shirt and dragged him into an open area by the bonfire. She couldn't see very well with the crowd gathering around them, so she crawled unsteadily to her feet just in time to see Dallas deliver a sloppy punch to Tim's face. It was obvious they were both too drunk to cause any real damage, but it was still scary to see the formation of bloody knuckles and broken noses.

"Ellie!" Someone was calling her name, but there were too many faces and everything was a bit blurry at the edges. She could see Sylvia in the crowd, her arms over her chest as she glared at the back of Dally's head.

A pair of hands latched onto her middle and pulled her over the side of the truck. She shrieked.

"Hey, hey, hey!" Two-Bit narrowly avoided her flailing limb, "Settle down, kiddo."

"You scared me!" Ellie defended, "What do you think you're doing?"

The sound of sirens cut through the music.

Kathy grabbed her hand and pulled her farther away from the crowd. "Getting out of here."

They made a path on the edge of the pasture, hidden behind the barricade of cars. She couldn't see any police, but the party was quickly dispersing and there were a few shouts and screams. The front lot was swarming with kids racing to get into their cars and out of there as soon as possible.

"Where the fuck is Dally?" Two-Bit growled as they scrambled into an old truck parked by the edge.

"I saw a cop make a bee-line for him." Kathy said, "Oh wait, there's him now! Turn on the engine!"

Dallas' lip was cut and blood was pouring out from his nose as he threw himself into the trunk. "Drive you fucking idiot!"

Ellie and Kathy gripped each other and the seat as Two-Bit slammed on the petal. He sped onto the road, almost hitting a police cruiser and killing a kid in the process.

"You hanging on there, Dally?" He called once they had made it onto the main road. There were cars full of teens around them as they raced back into Tulsa.

"I think my nose is broken." The boy replied, hunched over with his hand holding onto the side of the truck tightly. "Tim owes me a new shirt, too, the fucker."

"I think that enough with the swearing." Ellie told them as the girls unlatched from each other. "It's making me nauseous."

"That's just the booze, kiddo."

Kathy set Two-Bit with a hard look. "How drunk did you get her?"

Ellie cracked the back window open further for fresh air. Being sandwiched between two bodies in the small cab was making her head spin. "I think I'm dying! What did you guys do to me?"

She watched as Dallas struggled to sit upright at a sharp street corner. The blood gushing from his nose was pouring down into his tee-shirt.

"Quit your whining." He demanded, "It's not like I forced you to drink that Jack."

Kathy gasped. "Jack Daniels? How much crap have you been filling her up with? She's what, a hundred pounds? One beer would have been enough, you morons!"

"Nuh-uh." Two-Bit insisted, slowing down a little once they had entered the suburbs. "This little shit can hold liquor so well, I'm pretty sure she's an alcoholic."

Ellie nudged him. "What ever happened to 'Princess'?"

"I personally liked 'Soc.'" Dallas commented, his voice louder now that the wind had died down.

They pulled up to a rickety old house. From what Ellie could see in the early morning darkness, half the lawn was dirt and the front fence was collapsing.

"You okay to drive, buddy?" Two-Bit asked, already hopping out of the front seat. Manoeuvring around the car, he opened the door for his girlfriend and helped her onto the curb.

"Yeah." Dallas answered shortly, jumping out of the back to take the front seat. Two-Bit was tall and thin, but Dallas was a little broader and Ellie had to shuffle over in order to make space between them.

"Make sure she gets in safely, you got it?" Kathy lectured him, "Don't just drop her off at the front of the house."

Dallas made an expression like he wanted to ram his already bloodied face into the dashboard. Kathy pointed at him threateningly, waiting for him to nod. And then Two-Bit took her hand to pull her away.

"Wait!" Ellie shouted. The overly loud volume of her voice distracted her for a moment and she had to think about what she was going to ask. "Kathy, do you know why Sylvia asked me to come out tonight?"

Kathy crossed her arms over her chest protectively, looking past the girl to study Dally's expression.

"No… Listen Ellie…" Kathy turned her head to look past the row of houses. She was clearly uncomfortable. "Sylvia doesn't ever do things spontaneously. She always has a plan. I suggest you figure out what it is, and quick."

Ellie leaned back on the leather seat and sighed. "And here I thought she just wanted to be friends."

Kathy shook her head seriously. "Sylvia doesn't have friends. She has accomplices and she has victims."

Two-Bit gave her arm a more insistent tug and Kathy finally complied. Dallas pulled away from the curb and Ellie watched the couple stumble up to the door until they were too far away to see. The sun wasn't up yet, but the sky was slowly lightening and the temperature was quickly rising. Ellie watched the houses pass by in a colourful blur.

"Girls are so complicated." She said, mostly to herself.

Dallas let out a little snort. He had been so riled up only an hour ago when he was clashing with Tim and running from the cops. Now he was as calm and content as ever, resting his wrist on the wheel as he rifled through his pockets.

Ellie smiled at the window. "But so are boys."

"Nah," Dallas mumbled distractedly, sticking a cigarette in his mouth. "Hey, look for my lighter, will you?"

After a brief search, she found it jammed between the seats. Dally fiddled with trying to get it to light, but the wind from the open window was making it impossible.

"Here." He threw it back at her, "Light my cig, will you?"

Ellie bit her lip and ran her thumb over the flint wheel but her touch was too light. It took her three more tries until the flame sparked to life. Like Ellie had seen her father do a million times, she leaned over and brought it to the tip of his smoke, shielding it from the breeze. His eyes darted to hers, steely and penetrating, the skin caving in under his sculpted cheekbones as he sucked the flame into the cigarette. The moment the fire caught, Ellie dropped back in her seat, tucking a stray hair out of face and turning back to the window to hide a blush. She needed to stop finding herself alone with him.

* * *

Dallas was hurting head to toe, his vision blurry, and there was no way in hell that he'd admit it. Tim had given him a good few punches, having always been the stronger of the two, but Dally hoped to god that Tim would look just as badly tomorrow morning.

Ellie had drifted off into silence, which he didn't mind so much. It helped him concentrate on the road and made her seem a hell of a lot less annoying. Who would have thought a drunken Ellie made a tolerable Ellie. Hell, she had even cracked a few jokes.

"We're here." Dallas told her, shutting off the engine. Her house had definitely improved over the few months she had lived here. The lawn was cut to an acceptable length and the fence had been replaced. The paint still needed doing, though.

He crawled out, holding onto the door to prevent him from falling onto his face. He was so fucked up.

"Are you okay?" Ellie asked, appearing by his side almost instantly. "You can't drive home like this."

"That's why I ain't gunna." He gestured to the Curtis' house. "I'll crash on their couch."

"I think maybe we should take you to the hospital instead. There's a lot of blood on your shirt."

Dallas slammed the door and straightened up. "Fuck that. I'll be fine."

She bit her lip- another habit that Dally picked up on. "At least let me walk you inside. I don't know how I'd explain your dead body in the middle of the road to the gang."

After a little more grumbling, he let her follow him to the house. He knew from experience that girls never shut up unless they got what they wanted.

"Be quiet." He whispered to her as they stepped inside. The only signs of life inside the house were a few empty beer bottles scattered across the coffee table. She dropped herself into the couch wearily and he went into the bathroom to wash his face and inspect the damage. His nose wasn't as bad as he thought, though he suspected there was more damage inside. His lip was a little swollen and dripping blood. He shrugged. He'd seen and felt worse. He just needed a few hours of sleep and some Tylenol. Or the whole bottle.

When he got back, Ellie was curled up in a ball at the foot of the couch, asleep. The cramped love-seat was looking uninviting so he collapsed onto the other side, ankles crossing past her to rest on the arm.

"Get'cher feet away from me." She moaned.

"If you're awake, then go home." Dallas grumbled quietly.

She unfurled her legs so that they slid up his side, her heels jabbing into his rib. "I'm asleep." She replied drowsily.

Dallas pulled her shoes off and threw them onto the carpet. "Then shut up."

She granted him silence, slinging an arm around his legs loosely and nuzzling her nose into his ankle. It was probably the oddest way he'd ever laid with a girl, and he had half the mind to just force her to sleep properly beside him. Her god-damn breath was tickling his foot.

Dally was almost out himself when she (frustratingly) opened her mouth again. "Dallas? What's sex like?"

He has to shove his arm into his mouth to keep himself from laughing out loud and waking up the whole neighbourhood. "What the fuck? Go to bed."

"Dallas!" She cried softly.

He shot up, at the end of his wit, and grabbed a hold of her thighs dragging her underneath him. Leaning in, he whispered gruffly in her ear, "You want me to show you, huh?"

She was undeniably attractive, sprawled out on the sofa with her legs on each side of his hips. Her hair was a mess and her make-up was smudging, but her eyes still held that peculiar liveliness in it and her skin glowed against the morning sunrise. At first he was just trying to scare Ellie into shutting up and leaving, but now he was getting kind of…turned on. He had been trying to score with Angel at the party when Tim hauled him into a fight and now he had a bad case of blue-balls.

Jesus, her skin was soft. And warm.

"Don't." She breathed. "Don't."

He reared back just a little. "Why not?"

Ellie shut her eyes and tilted her head like she was afraid to look at him. "Because I'm drunk."

Just do it, Dallas told himself. She fucking wants it. You fucking need it. But suddenly he felt like some kind of monster looming over her- a mistake waiting to happen. And after that, she'd want more. Ellie wasn't the type you could screw one night and ignore the next. He didn't even think he was capable of a stable relationship. Sometimes things got so rocky with Sylvia that he wasn't always sure whether they were off or on. Plus, the boys would kill him. There was a certain type of girls they never messed with, like cousins and sisters. Somehow, Ellie had elevated herself into that untouchable position.

"You'd regret it." Dally stated, getting off of her. They resettled themselves back into their previous positions.

"Probably."

"So go to sleep, kiddo. If you're lucky, you won't remember a thing in the morning."

* * *

**Ew so corny! I don't know if I like this chapter, after all. Sigh. Anyway, this is actually chapter 6-7, so, that being said, I probably won't post for another two weeks because I have maybe only two more chapters left that are already written... I could have separated them but I didn't really want to leave you guys hanging sooo... Here!**

**Thanks everyone for your reviews! It means a lot when you guys take the time to write them! Trust me, I really, really, really appreciate every word!**

**Remember to review about anything you like or think I need improving on! Or if there's anything you'd like to see happen in the story! Maybe i'll sneak it in...**

**Love ya'll! **


	7. Uptown Girl

9.

Johnny woke up to beautiful silence and nearly cried with joy at the sound.

His parents were likely at work, his mother being a secretary and his father in a factory just outside of Tulsa. They were probably the only non-divorced family in greaser territory and Johnny wished every night that his dad would just get up and never come back. His mom he could handle, as erratic and cold as she was. Even if she didn't love him, he knew she felt some sort of family commitment enough to keep him fed and sheltered.

He flipped over onto his back and groaned. The left side of his back was covered in a deep bruise from hitting the door frame and besides that, he was sore all over. His lumpy mattress wasn't helping either. When he got up, there was red on one of his pillows and a bit of dried blood in his hair.

He hated his dad. Hated him just as much as his dad hated him back. When he was sober and peaceful, he was despicable, and made Johnny sick to his stomach just to see his face, so similar to the one he saw in the mirror. When he was drunk and angry, Johnny didn't even have a strong enough word for the feeling that welled up inside him. He liked to pray to God his father would just die. He knew that wasn't the kind of thing God granted, but He was Johnny's only hope. No one else would do anything about his dad- certainly not him. He was the smallest of the boys; even smaller than Ponyboy, who was only fourteen.

In the shower, he inspected his war wounds, as Dally called them. The one on his back wasn't so bad, though it ran the length of him and then spattered onto his arm. He wouldn't be able to move it much without wincing. The gash in the back if his head didn't seem too deep, but it broke open and started bleeding again when Johnny tried cleaning it. He had to leave his hair under-greased in hopes of keeping it uninfected. There'd be hell to pay if his parents had to take him to a hospital.

Johnny left as soon as he could. Even empty, the house spooked him to no end. It was like the calm before the storm. So naturally he headed towards the Curtis' house. It was only a few streets down, but he walked like he was about to run and he kept his hand on the switch-blade in his pocket. He'd never been jumped before, but he hoped he could give them a good fight if he could.

Johnny slowed down when he could see the house. He loved the gang to bits and knew he would have ended himself long ago if it wasn't for them, but he didn't feel like being treated like some broken puppy today. If he was lucky, he could grab Pony and they could go watch a movie or grab a bite to eat. Ponyboy was probably his best friend, mostly because he didn't talk or act as rough as everyone else. Even if Pony was two years younger and had never been beaten, they saw the world in similar ways and they spent a lot of time talking about stuff that the other boys would consider too sensitive and emotional to mention. When they were hanging out Johnny didn't have to be brave and Pony didn't have to be tough.

If Pony wasn't there, then he'd find Dally. It was different with him. They were complete opposites; Johnny kept out of trouble and never looked for a fight while Dallas could rob a man, steal a car, and set fire to the public library before breakfast -if he could manage to wake himself before noon. Yet they were two peas in a pod. Dally didn't get into too much trouble when they were hanging out because he knew Johnny would rather rot in jail than go home and get the lashing he'd receive if he got arrested. And Johnny didn't feel so nervous and vulnerable in Dally's presence. People looked at him and saw this scary, messed-up hood, but Johnny knew better. Years of torture from his own old man had made Dallas distrustful and cold to a world that was just as cold to him. Truthfully, he didn't exactly understand how they had gotten so close, but if the gang were _like_ his brothers, then Dallas _was_ his brother.

As it turned out, he didn't end up meeting with either one of the boys. Just as he was passing by Ellie's house, she stepped outside and waved to him. She was hiding behind a pair of giant sunglasses and her dress was a cheerful yellow that complemented her hair.

"I'm glad I caught you." She told him with a charming smile. "What are you doing today?"

He shrugged. "Not much. Why?"

She laughed a little nervously and clasped her hands behind her back. "I need someone to come to that diner with me. What was it called? The Dingo? It's just... I'm too scared to go by myself."

Johnny stuck his hands in his pocket and thought. Ellie was easy to speak to, even if she was a bit peculiar. Looking past her cosmopolitan outfits and big hair, she wasn't as unreachable as a regular soc girl. A bit naive and superficial, yes, but playful and endearing as well. What Johnny really liked about her was that she had this way of looking at people that made them feel bigger than life. Like a child admiring a worldly adult.

"I'll pay for you." She added, fidgeting under his blank gaze.

Johnny tried to smile. "Nah, I'll come."

"Cool!" She exclaimed softly, "Do you wanna drive? I have a headache and don't want to use the thinking capacity it takes to drive."

"I don't have my licence." Johnny told her as they approached her green rust-bucket. Was it just him, or did it look even worse than usual?

"Neither does she." Dallas commented, appearing beside him suddenly. His face was mangled up but he didn't seem too mad about it. In fact, Johnny could see an unusual grin forming on his face.

"Oh!" Ellie shrieked at the sound of his voice, swivelled around to look at him. "You!"

"Me." Dallas drawled.

"You... You..." She took a few steps back and fiddled with her keys, red as a tomato. "P-please move your truck. I can't get out of my d-driveway with it here."

Johnny looked rapidly between them, eyes wide.

Dallas pulled his cigarette out of his mouth and took his time exhaling the smoke into the morning air. "Awe, don't be such a blushing virgin, honey. You weren't so coy last night."

"What?" Johnny cut in, completely bewildered. He knew what Dallas was suggesting, but the thought of pure, innocent Ellie hooking up with a hood like him and not being knocked out first was something that was just not capable of happening. "What?"

"I-I..." Ellie clutched her keys tightly, rigid as a broomstick. Even Lady, who had been half asleep on the porch, had picked up her head and was eyeing the scene wearily.

"I'm gunna go to the wash-room really quick." Ellie squeaked, rushing back inside with her dog at her heals.

The moment she was gone, Dallas nearly fell over laughing.

"What did you do to her?" Johnny exclaimed, feeling annoyed. Leave it to Dally to sully an innocent girl like Ellie.

"Nothing, but I don't think she knows that." Dally told him once he had calmed down. "Some of the girls brought her to a party last night and she got a bit drunk. One thing leads to another and she wakes up on the Curtis' couch, tryna' cuddle up to me. Lemme tell you, she got out of there like the house was on fire. Got a good shot of her ass though, with her skirt all ridden up like that. Nice."

Johnny gave him a doubtful look. "Your such a dog, you know?"

Dallas put his hands up and shrugged, a shiteating grin plastered on his face. "Hey, I really didn't touch her, even if she was begging for it."

"You outta leave her alone." Johnny stated as Dallas moved to crawl into his truck. "She's not like Sylvia, you know? She can't handle someone like you."

Dally raised an eyebrow at him. "Got a crush, Johnny?"

"No." Johnny told him, and it was the truth. Even if Ellie was one of the only girls he could talk to without stuttering, she didn't hold that kind of appeal for him. Maybe it was because there was already so much shit swirling around in his life. He didn't have the time or energy to submerge himself in the dramas of relationships. "Do you? You seem awfully keen on making her blush."

Dallas turned on his engine and set him with a cocky look. "Johnnycake, I don't crush on girls. I fuck 'em."

Lighting another cigarette, he continued, "And anyway, even if I was interested, the only way I'd get even close to tapping her is if I had a million dollars in the bank, wore a suit, played golf with her father, and married her."

Ellie didn't emerge from the house until Dallas could be heard ripping down the street.

"I'm never gunna drink again." She stated, keeping an eye on his truck as she came to stand by Johnny once more. "It only leads to trouble."

"Well..." Johnny ran his hand through his un-greased hair awkwardly, fingering his cut to see if it has stopped bleeding. "He said nothing actually happened, so don't worry so much."

Ellie slipped her shades on once more and passed him the keys. "You're driving, okay? I think I might puke."

The dingo was mostly empty on weekend mornings because everyone was catching up on the sleep they had missed the previous night or stuck in a drunk tank.

"Are you hungover?" Johnny asked as they slid into a booth. She still hadn't removed her sunglasses, but he knew from earlier that her eyes were bloodshot.

"That or dying." She answered, propping her chin up with her fist. "It's the worst thing that's ever happened to me."

Johnny snorted and brought the basket of sugar packets towards him so he could have something to fiddle with. "I bet your gunna tell me you'll never drink ever again?"

"But I really won't!" She insisted, pausing to order a cup of coffee when from the waitress. Johnny ordered a full breakfast, hoping it would fill him up and dull the pain a little. The waitress was back in seconds with Ellie's drink.

Johnny passed her two packets of sugar. "That's what they all say. But hey, maybe you won't. You don't really seem like the type to drink, anyway."

Ellie emptied the packets into the blackened liquid and gestured for more. "I'm not. Truthfully, I'm a bit too... high strung to do anything that I shouldn't be doing." She emptied two more packets of sugar into her coffee and waved for even more. "But I'm also easily roped into things. What's the word for it? Peer pressure? I just hate saying no to people."

She took a long gulp of black coffee and about a pound of sugar. He winced, wondering how she could stomach such a toxic mixture, but she seemed to drink it like water.

"I woke up really early this morning," She explained, "I need something strong to keep me up until tonight. Naps always make me mean and grumpy. Do they do that to you?"

Johnny couldn't remember the last time he took a nap. "You, mean and grumpy?"

Her eyebrows tipped inwardly and did an exaggerated scowl. "Oh, I'm like a street cat when I get mad. _Really_ mad."

He didn't know whether or not she was being serious, so he fiddled with a new more packets of sugar instead.

But Ellie didn't seem to mind all of Johnny's bouts of silence. It only took her a few seconds to get her rattling off again.

"This morning was when I swore to myself I won't ever drink again. I woke up at five am, sick to my stomach, the sun blaring in my eyes, and my mouth like sandpaper. I still feel like that, too. The worst part is, I had my legs wrapped up in Dallas', except my head was by his feet and they stunk like high heaven. Does that boy even know the definition of a shower?" She leaned back, frowning. "Sometimes I really don't like him that much. He's so horrible to me."

Johnny bristled a little. It was his natural instinct when someone talked about anyone in his gang. "Dally's got a rough life. He doesn't get to be happy and nice all the time."

Ellie sat up, gnawing at her lip, and Johnny got that spooky feeling of being watched. He wished she'd just take off those damn shades.

"Your right." She smiled sheepishly, "Anyway, he isn't all mean. He kept me company yesterday after Two-Bit ditched me to make up with Kathy. And he didn't push me into anything last night."

An entirely different feeling came over Johnny then. He didn't want Ellie to assume that there was nothing to Dallas but rough edges, but he was also irritated that she could be so naive as to think that Dally was some kind of secret gentleman. That was the big problem with her- Ellie didn't get the score. Not at all. And it was something you just couldn't teach to someone. She'd have to figure it out the hard way, and that's what he was afraid of.

He tore at the edge of a sugar pack and finally spat out, "Look, all I'm trying to tell you is that Dally is human. He has the capability to be kind and caring and hell, even smart if he had stayed in school. But you can't see him as just that kind of guy. You gotta accept the bad in him too. You gotta accept that he jumps kids, runs with rough guys down town, steals cars, robs corner stores... And that doesn't just apply to him. You think Steve buys all those car parts he has down in the DX? You think Two-Bit is a happy-go-lucky drunk all the time? You think Sodapop hasn't ever jumped a Soc?"

By the time he was done he had run out of breath and Ellie was clutching her mug like it was her life support. He was suddenly glad he didn't have to see her expression under her shades.

"I thought socs jumped you guys?" She whispered.

Johnny tore open the packet and flinched a little at the sound of the bell on the door jingle. When he spoke again, he sounded softer. "Ellie, we're the hoods, the JDs, the criminals. They're just rowdy teens."

An awkwardness settled on them as Ellie contented herself with gulping down her coffee. Johnny's food arrived at the table, but his appetite was long gone. He hated talking so much. Whenever he opened his mouth, it seemed crap fell out.

"You shouldn't scare me like that." She finally stated, much calmer despite the caffeine and sugar rush she was bound to be on. "I understand -sort of- why you told me, and I appreciate it. But what do you want me to do? See the worst in people?"

Johnny shook his head. "No, just forget it."

"You're my only friends." She admitted. "And I won't lie, you all can scare me to bits sometimes, with all the horror stories I hear. But I've never felt unsafe, so who cares?"

Johnny stared at his plate of food for a long time, and then pushed it over to her a little bit. "Want some?"

She contemplated the plate of eggs, toast and bacon for a moment before sighing and taking another chug of her coffee. "I want to, but just know I'll end up hurling it all out in five minutes."

He retracted his breakfast and fiddled uncomfortably with his scrambled eggs.

"So..." Ellie wrapped her hands around her mug and leaned in. "What do you think you'll do after high school?"

Johnny shrugged.

She laughed a little and wagged her finger at him, eyebrow raised. "Oh no! You don't get to clam up after yelling at me just moment before! You have to talk. Especially now that I know you have things to say!"

"I don't really think that far ahead." Johnny admitted. In fact, he wasn't sure if he'd even graduate. He had good grades (not as good as Pony but still better than most greasers) and a good attendance, but his dad had long been complaining about Johnny wasting all their money and he was sure he'd eventually be force into quitting school and getting a job at the factory or something. And even if he did graduate, he wouldn't be able to go to college or university. He knew Darry had had his hopes up for that kind of thing before his parents died, and now he struggled every day trying not to be bitter over giving that up for his brothers. Johnny didn't want to end up like that- with a giant 'what-if' looming over his head for the rest of his life.

"You should." Ellie stated, "You have less than two years to figure it out."

"What about you then?" He asked, "What do you want to be?"

She took another packet of sugar and stirred it in. "That's easy. I'm going to be a wife and mother. Preferably to a rich man. He doesn't have to be particularly handsome, but he has to be nice and wouldn't mind hiring a nanny. I'm pretty awful with children, but maybe it'll be different when they're mine."

Johnny snorted. Ellie was a walking talking cliché, if he'd ever seen one. A true Soc girl with Soc girl ambitions. "So basically, you're planning on being a gold-digger."

"No!" Ellie gasped, "I'd never do that!"

"But that's exactly what you just described. You wanna marry a guy for his money."

She shook her head adamantly. "No, no, no! It's more like... I'm describing the perfect husband. Rich, handsome, nice. Mumsie always says that he needs to be able to take care of me, so I suppose as long as he's middle class, I won't complain. But I'll love him, of course. I'd never be able to marry a man I didn't love, even if he was the king of England!"

With her sunglasses, Johnny couldn't tell if she was being serious or not, but either way he wanted to tell her she was an idiot. But then, was she really? His parents had married out of pure love, but they had also been dead broke and that had eroded at their relationship until it had become nothing but stressful fighting. Maybe Ellie was just ensuring that didn't happen to her. After all, money usually meant happiness.

"Do you think I could snag a royal?" She continued idly, turning to look out the window. "Not a prince, of course, but maybe a duke or... count? Are counts royalty?"

"I dunno." Johnny took a big bite of toast. "But if you're looking for a rich husband, you might want to start hanging out with the Socs more often, 'cause you won't ever find a rich greaser."

"God, Johnny." Ellie frowned and leaned back in her chair. When she spoke, her voice was soft and pleading. "Do you just really want me to stop hanging around, or something? I get it, Okay? You're all rough and tough and I'm just some naive Soc girl that wants to go slumming but doesn't know what she's getting into. Maybe you're right, but maybe you're also wrong, because I haven't met anyone as of yet that has made me feel threatened or even uncomfortable. So who cares if you steal and get into fights? And who cares if you guys aren't rich? God knows my mother will find a husband for me, anyway!"

Johnny chewed slowly and looked out the window. He'd never had such a heated conversation with a girl before. Usually it was just shy glances and awkward one-word responses.

"We should get out of here."

Her hand shot over to latch onto his, a large pout forming on her lips. "Johnnycake, don't be upset. You're killing me with this distrust and indifference, you know?"

Johnny nudged his head towards the window. "No, I mean, we should go because a cop car just pulled in."

If the lot had been sparse before, it was now empty. Even the staff had disappeared inside the kitchen. Except for Penny, who had just gotten in and was too busy hanging up her coat by the door to notice.

"Oh." Ellie breathed, sitting rigid in her booth seat. "What do we do?"

Johnny sat up and fixed his shirt, making sure it covered all his bruises. "It's too late to leave now. Just relax and don't look over. Sometimes a few of them like to come by and cause trouble by hanging out for a bit. It's not too bad as long as they don't notice you or aren't looking for you."

They sat in silence for a few excruciating minutes. Then, two men in uniform came sauntering through the doors, one hand on their belt and the other on their black guns. Penny, finally noticing them, tried to look for a quick getaway but found herself trapped.

"What can I get you?" She asked nervously as they came to the counter. Her voice travelled far in the aerie silence of the diner. It was like everyone was holding their breaths.

"Two bacon and eggs and two coffees." One man told her, staring into Penny's face like he was waiting for some sort of sign that indicated she was liable for arrest.

"Coming right up." She mumbled awkwardly, racing into the kitchen. The cops hung by the front, scanning the diner customers with narrowed eyes. Johnny tried to keep his head low, but Ellie had forgotten what he had told her and was staring blatantly at the men.

"Hey, drink your coffee and let's go." He whisper to her. "And stop looking."

Ellie's locked eyes with him suddenly, her face paling. "Too late."

"Hey, you!" One office called, pushing himself off the counter and moving slowly but deliberately towards them. Though he was strongly built with thick arms, he was obviously close to retirement judging by the salt and pepper of his hair.

"Hello officer." Ellie smiled politely, reaching over to cradle her cup again. Johnny ducked his head over his food and began shovelling it into his mouth, scared to death. He couldn't get arrested. He just couldn't. Even if they slapped handcuffs on him for a few hours and then released him, he'd still get a massive whipping at home. He wouldn't be able to handle that.

The man folded his arms over his chest. "Haven't ever seen you before, girly."

"Yes, well... I am new here."

He gave her a look and then asked in that formal, policing tone, "Name?"

"Elizabeth Carter, sir."

Johnny didn't understand how calm she could be, talking to a cop, but he supposed it was because she had never done anything illegal in her life.

"Carter, huh?" He looked at her even harder, leaning in a bit. "What brings you to Tulsa?"

"My grandmother used to live her with my father. She wanted to come back and spend the rest of her days here, I suppose. I came along."

"Carter, huh?" Patricks repeated slowly. Behind him, his partner turned away from the scene to accept their orders from Penny. The waitress caught eyes with Johnny before she disappeared again, and it was a clear 'get out of here' kind-of expression.

"You ain't related to a certain Daniel Carter, are you?" The police man asked.

"That's my daddy!" Ellie chirped, sitting even straighter. If there was one thing she loved talking about, it was her family. "Did you know him? He used to live here."

The cop tipped his head and guffawed like he was truly amused. "Hell yeah, I knew your father. We go way back. What a fucking piece of shit he was... I just loved arresting him, the way he'd swear and threaten up a storm. Always getting in trouble, running around with that little gang of his, talking about going big. Last time I heard 'bout him, he was moving up to Chicago to expand."

This partner came up and handed Patricks a coffee. He was a dozen years younger and handsomer, and didn't look too mean either. "Sounds like Timothy Shepard."

"Eh," Patricks shrugged and slurped noisily. "There's always one rat in every generation of rats, tryin' 'ta become the real thing."

Ellie had turned white as snow. "I... I think you've confused him for someone else. That's not my daddy. He's an honest man. A business man, in sales."

"No, I don't think so." Patricks scanned her up and down with his eyes, and Johnny felt like punching him in the face for making Ellie squirm uncomfortably. What a goddamn pervert! What did he think he was looking at? Johnny fucking _hated _old dirt-bags like him- like his father. They were all so twisted and sick, and so fucking intent on spreading their sickness into kids like them.

"You look a lot like that trailer trash girl he shacked up with. What's your daddy up to now, anyway? I heard the force up there have been on his ass these past months."

The polite smile on her face had slid off completely by then. She looked livid, even with only half of her face exposed.

With her face tensed up, Ellie hissed bitingly, "If you'd like to question me about my father, I'll be glad to give you the contact information to my family's attorneys."

Johnny could have dropped out of his seat laughing until he cried. Even with her hands shaking and her face as pale as a hospital wall, Ellie had managed to say the most Soc-esque sentence ever uttered in East Tulsa. But shit did she sound _tuff_.

"Come on, Johnny." She said next, digging out her purse and scattering a few dollars on the table. "Let's go."

The police men didn't even try to stop them, though Patricks had that shitty smirk still smeared across his face. At least his partner had the decency to look uncomfortable. Johnny guessed they knew when to quit it. Talking bad about her family had set off Ellie like a fuse, and when girls got mad, it was like trying to control a hurricane.

He could tell that it took all her effort not to speed out of the parking lot. She was squeezing the wheel, her face still hidden by those big shades.

"What's that guy's problem?" She whined irritably, "He doesn't know anything about my family!"

Johnny kept his eyes glued on the road and his lips sealed shut.

"Gosh! Just because he grew up on the bad side of town doesn't mean he was a hoodlum! And it doesn't mean he's off in Chicago, playing around in a gang! He sits around in an office all day, for crying out loud!"

She couldn't swear even when she was livid, Johnny noticed with a sense of amusement.

"Ellie." Johnny intercepted softly. "You're speeding."

She smiled sheepishly and eased up on the peddle. "Sorry. I get so worked up sometimes. My mum says I always feel too much. Either I'm too happy, or too sad, or too mad. Oh, and that's another thing! Where does he get off, calling my mother trash?"

She went on and off like this all the way home, but by the time they pulled into her driveway, she had convinced herself to settle down.

"He was probably just trying to rile me up." She said, following him out onto the road. "Some people are just so rude."

"Cops are just like that with us. It's like he said. We're all just rats to them, waiting to be caught." Johnny told her offhandedly, scanning the Curtis' yard for any of the boys. He was running out of cigarettes and he hated lifting by himself.

"That's not fair." Ellie stated, but she didn't say any further on the matter. He could tell she was thinking things over in her head.

"You wanna come hang out with some of the boys?" Johnny asked, feeling a little bad for wanting to ditch her after she had paid for his meal. He was always depending on his friends for things like that because him parents never gave him cash and he didn't have a job. He used to swear he'd pay them all back one day, but the dept just started racking up so high that now all he could do was be grateful.

"It's okay." Ellie pushed up her sunglasses so they rested on her head. Her eyes were just a little less bloodshot and that excited, friendly smile was back on her face. "I think I'll maybe take another long shower and write a strongly worded letter to myself about the dangers of drinking."

Johnny snorted. "You're nuts."

He made to leave but without warning Ellie had him in a bone-crushing hug that dug straight into his bruises.

"Thanks for coming to breakfast with me, Johnnycake." She giggled, letting go. "And for warning me about all you big bad hoods. But I think I'll stick around for a little bit longer, if you don't mind. Anyway, you and Ponyboy couldn't hurt a fly if it was the size of a grizzly bear and was trying to eat you, so iIm not so concerned."

"You're nuts." He said once more, feeling a smile tug at the corners of his lips. "I'll show you. One day you'll see the rough and tough side of me and you'll cower in your little heals."

"What's that I hear?" Ellie asked, putting a hand to her ear for affect. "Did Johnny just make a joke? I thought you were the strong, serious, silent type."

"Oh, go sleep off your hangover." Johnny grumbled jokingly, waving his hand.

"See you later, Hood!" She called after him. "And Johnny?"

He turned his head, already halfway to the other house. "Yeah, Soc?"

Though she was farther away, he could still see the softness in her face. "Put some ice on it. And I heard vinegar and sunlight helps, too."

* * *

**Not really a prime chapter, but awe man, I fuckin' love Johnny! I dunno if you're all wondering why I put a Johnny POV in a Dallas/OC story, but this is a story about friendship as much as it is about romance! Anyway, I think Ellie and Johnny have a lot in common, and eventually they'll be two of the most important people to Dallas so naturally they'll become very close as well. Saying that, Johnny and Ellie will not ever date or anything. I hope I've made that pretty clear in the story that they're just friends. Anyway! Sorry this chapter doesn't have much Dallas in it, but there are going to be other things happening and I needed to build up to it (HINT HINT). Don't worry though, I want Dallas and Ellie to just goddamn get it on already, too.**

**Anyway, next one involves school, Soc boys, some Ponyboy, some Johnny, and a little end-of-chapter surprise!**

**Once again, thank you guys so much for the reviews, and I look forward to even more! I'm really glad that a lot of you found that I had the character's personalities down! Honestly, I haven't read the book since I was thirteen, so... haha... But, yeah! **

_**Thank you so much for the reviews and the follows and favourites! Remember to write about what I need to improve on, what you think is great, and if there's anything you'd like for me to add into the story! Hope you had a happy Easter! Love ya'll!**_


	8. Come a Little Closer

8.

"It's King Louis the Fourteenth." Ellie stated without looking up from her notes. "That's the answer for question ten."

"But..." Johnny flipped through a few pages of his textbook, confusion etched into his features. "I could have sworn it said Louis the Fifteenth."

Ellie shook her head and pointed to a few italic words written under a picture of a black-haired king. "Nope. See, the XIV means fourteenth. Louis the Fifteenth was Louis 'The Beloved'. He became King when he was still really young. Louis the Fourteenth build Versalles. He's the 'Sun King'."

Two-Bit scratched his head and hiked his feet up onto the library table. "Why the hell did they all get named Louis? Couldn't they think of more than one name? Did they ever get confused?"

Ellie pushed his feet away from her papers and back onto the floor. "You're gunna get us kicked out..."

They were jammed in the farthest corner of the school library, away from prying eyes because the boys thought it would damage their reputation to be seen studying during lunch. Ellie had complained about their seating choice (it was beside a garbage can and she felt smushed between the wall and a giant shelf) but had complied anyway. She really needed to learn how to say no.

"Good." Two-Bit grumbled, pulling out a comb to fix up his hair. He had gone to sleep with it wet and a few strands on the back kept sticking up. "No right-minded greaser should ever be seen in a library, anyway."

Johnny glanced at Ellie's well written notes before jotting a few sentences down on his own paper. He had been passing his tests with ease, so Ellie didn't mind so much if he stole a few answers from her. Two-But was a different matter.

"You're failing history, Two-Bit." Johnny told him diplomatically. "It'd do you some good, and you should be grateful that Ellie's bothering to help us."

Two-Bit sunk down in his wooden chair. "Jesus, Johnnycake. Have you been hanging out with my mom and sister lately? Because you sound exactly like them."

"Oh yeah." Johnny went back to his textbook. "They're my best friends, don't you know? We sit around the kitchen table all the time, complaining about _you_."

Ponyboy interrupted them by dropping a large stack of books on the table.

"All of these?" Ellie squeaked, her eyes turning into saucers as she gawked at the tower. "When I asked if you could recommend any good books, I only meant one or two!"

Pony patted the top novel affectionately. "I know, but I couldn't decide so I just grabbed my top ten." "

Wait, wait wait." Two-Bit sat up. "You have a list of most favourite books? Hell, I can't even think of my first favourite!"

Pony sent him a scathing look before nudging the stack towards Ellie. "Pick one."

Ellie put down her pen and ran her finger down their spines, whispering the titles. "How To Kill A Mocking Bird, Catcher In The Rye, Great Expectations, Lord of The Flies... You've read all of these?"

"And more." Pony told her, standing straight with pride.

"There isn't a book in this whole library he hasn't read." Johnny commented, "The librarians know him personally- that's how much he comes here."

"That's Pony for you." Two-Bit interjected absent-mindedly, fiddling with his lighter. "Greaser on the outside, nerd in the inside."

Pony scowled and went through the stack once more. "Not all of us can be as illiterate as you, Two-Bit."

The older boy looked up with a glare. School must have been a sensitive subject with him, because he didn't look at all pleased to be called stupid. Maybe that's why he had stayed in school for so long without dropping out- maybe he really _was_ trying...

"Do you have anything with romance?" Ellie inserted quickly, seeing the heat rise up between them. She sensed that Pony _often_ said things that pushed other people's buttons.

The youngest boy picked at the edge of a fraying book cover, his ears turning pink. "No."

She tipped her head to the side. "Do you know any? I love romance books."

Two-Bit nudged her a little and smirked, the tension between Pony and himself already forgotten. "Why do you need a love story when you got me, huh?"

"Oh, Two-Bit." Ellie sighed tiredly, "Don't lead me on. I don't think my poor heart could take it."

Pony nudged his head and she got up, following him into the shelves. Will Rogers high school's library had only a small fiction area, tucked neatly in the back with six rows in total. There didn't seem to be many students in this particular section- probably because there was a bigger, more equipped library a few blocks down from the school. Ponyboy navigated through the rows with precision, his eyes trained into the titles and author names.

"Here. I've never read it, but..." Pony shrugged and handed her a paperback book from the shelf. The cover was mustard yellow, fading into white near the bottom. '_Gone With The Wind_' was written in brown, wild-west print. "I think there's romance in this... I can't remember."

"Oh, I've always wanted to read this!" Ellie gasped, snatching it out of his hands. She thumbed through it briefly; it was thicker than the books she usually read. "I loved the movie!"

Pony let out a little smile. "Figures. You're such a girl, Ellie."

She smacked him lightly over the head with the book, rolling her eyes. "I wonder why!"

Pony ducked away with a laugh. _He's handsome when he's happy,_ Ellie thought as they wandered through the isles, _but it's too bad he has a habit of becoming broody._

"You look like you're brother when you smile." Ellie told him, reaching over to pinch his cheek despite him being twice her size. "It's so adorable."

He ducked away once more, scowling. "Ugh! Don't do that!"

"Oh?" Ellie giggled, poking him in his side. She wondered if this was what it would be like when her baby brother would he old enough to tease. Really, Pony was only a few years younger than her and more mature than people gave him credit for, but he was still a kid compared to the rest of the boys. Anyway, he was a riot to tease. "Why not?"

He twisted away, backing right into a shelf and knocking three rows of heavy books down. They fell like a waterfall, smacking noisily against the linoleum. A few pages tore from their spines and scattered across the floor, while other books became crumpled and crushed under the mess.

Pony looked petrified for a brief moment, his eyes darting from the disaster-zone and then to the end of the rows where the librarian desk sat. From where they stood, they could see a few students and teachers look over to investigate the source of the noise.

"Every man for himself!" Ellie whispered hurriedly, skipping into a different isle. Pony glanced at the books once more and then raced after her.

"You're gunna get me in trouble!" He hissed as they walked briskly through the rows, a notch under a run.

"For knocking a few books down?" Ellie stopped in front of the biology section, a mischievous smile on her face. There was a few students milling around in the narrow space, scanning through books on genetics. A few of them were in her class and she wondered if there was a test she hadn't heard about. "You'd just get a talking-to."

"Ellie." Ponyboy ground out, shaking his head. "I'm beginning to regret ever speaking to you. And when did you become so... rebellious? I figure you to be the type to clean the mess up and beg for forgiveness."

"That's certainly the right thing to do… yet here I am. Have you ever thought that perhaps I'm just a big old coward?"

Pony scoffed. "Yeah, I got that vibe when you ran away."

Ellie crossed her arms over her chest and made a comically mean face.

"Well," She barked in a deep voice, "It's a dog-eat-dog world out there, Ponyboy."

He gasped, "Wow, Ellie! You're the toughest, most street-wise hood I've ever met! I can't believe I didn't see it before! You should definitely come to the next rumble- I bet you'd kick ass!"

She let a smug grin curl at the ends of her lips.

"Don't underestimate me!" She sang, bopping him playfully on the nose with the spine of Gone With The Wind.

"Gah! Stop it!" Ponyboy flushed a few Socs turned to glare at them.

Ellie put her hands up defensively. "Careful, we wouldn't want you to knock any more shelves over, Clumsy."

Pony growled and swung a fist at her arm. "You're such a pain in the ass, you know?"

She gasped and grabbed her now aching limb, pretending to be greatly insulted as she smothered her laughter. "Did you just hit me?"

"I forgot you were a chick." Pony muttered, staring at her arm with wide eyes. He took a step closer and patted her unharmed arm awkwardly. "Sorry?"

Ellie would have started to giggle at his expression if a big, burly Soc hadn't come up and jammed himself in-between the two. He had honey hair, green eyes, and a good six feet of height on him. Ellie could easily tell he was just above middle-class with the way he dressed and walked and held himself. He must have belonged to the football team as well, with all that muscle.

He set Ponyboy with a stern look and asked her, "Is this guy bothering you?"

Ellie thought Pony would try to explain himself. That was what would be logical, and Pony was a smart, peaceful kid. What she didn't expect was for him to stand straighter and cross him arms over his chest, challenging the Soc with a hard, cool stare.

"This isn't any of your business." Pony grumbled with his hands in fists, skin stretched white over his knuckles. Suddenly he didn't look like regular Ponyboy; standing there was a real greaser kid with that greaser recklessness running through his blood. He didn't look like he was ready to fight, but Ellie could see him building a wall of hostility around himself.

"Walk away." He grumbled lowly.

"It's my business if I see you harassing a girl." The Soc threw back, matching Pony's stance.

Ellie, feeling embarrassed and uncomfortable, lifted her hand shyly and said, "Um, it's okay, really-"

"Go back to your books." Pony demanded, interrupting Ellie. Though the whole dilemma had started because of her, the two boys seemed to be more content in winning their stare-off to hear anything she said. What was wrong with them? It wasn't if anyone had done anything! Was a misunderstanding really a reason to fight? Was the tension between Socs and Greasers so heavy that it could change Pony, soft and dreamy, into someone who started brawls in a school library?

"I'm not going to stand by and watch you-" The boy started.

Without dropping his glare, Ellie watched Pony take a heavy old book from the shelf and swung it effortlessly in his hand so he could have a better grip.

"You threatening me?" He asked, quiet and dangerous.

"Pony..." Ellie whined lowly, putting a hand on his shoulder. She had never seen him so unruly and impassive before and it was frightening her. She expected it from tough kids like Dallas or even Two-Bit, but Pony was supposed to be different- he was shy and kind, not vicious... Then, finally, he looked down at her and she could recognize the shaky bravery underneath his anger... He was just trying to protect himself.

"I'm fine." She told the other boy with resolve. "Pony would never hurt me."

Pony let her take the book from his hand and put it back onto the shelf before leading him away. She kept a firm grip on his arm as they travelled quickly to the table, scared he'd turn back and really start a fight. He was still so tense under her fingers, even when the other boy had turned away.

"I shouldn't have done that." Pony sighed as their table came into view. "I could have gotten suspended. I'm such an idiot."

Ellie shook her head. "No you're not, Pony."

Pony ran his palm over his greased up hair. "But I really am, Ellie. I'm alright with studying and books, sure, but I can never think of the right thing to do in situations like that. What if he decided to fight me? I would'a gotten my ass kicked! Not to mention the shit I'd get into with Darry."

Two-Bit, who was half asleep in his chair by the time they came back, woke quickly at the sound of their approach. He rubbed the sleep from his eyes and yawned. "Jesus, where did you go? China? You were gone for twenty minutes."

"_Who_ would have kicked your ass?" Johnny asked quietly, looking up from his papers.

Ellie and Ponyboy sat down in their seats again, but she didn't feel like doing any more homework. The bell was scheduled to ring in a few minutes, and only half her essay on the French monarchy was done. With a glance at Johnny's own work, she was crestfallen to see that he had finished.

"Some boy thought Pony was beating on me." Ellie told him.

"_Pony_?" Two-Bit snorted, grabbing the young boy's shoulder and giving him a little shake. "You can't hit girls, buddy. Well, unless they ask for it."

Ellie gasped, outraged at his insensitivity. "Keith Mathews! No girl is ever asking to be hit, no matter what she does!"

With a sleazy grin, Two-Bit released Pony and slung an arm around her instead, pulling so that her side was flush against his and he could mutter in her ear, "Some girls really do ask for it... in bed, if you know what I mean."

Ellie reared away, utterly shocked and disgusted. "W-What?" She squealed, "No, I don't know what you mean!"

Johnny and Pony, who had been watching with mild irritation, rolled their eyes and got up as the school bell rang to signal the end of lunch.

"You will one day, Princess." Two-Bit added solemnly, placing a hand over his heart for affect.

Ellie gave him a horrified look just as Johnny managed to pry her away.

"It's like everyone has forgotten that I'm an innocent young lady." Ellie sighed, following her friend down the hall. It seemed as if every day she was being assaulted by some sort of new, discomforting reality. In many ways, she missed those years at her all-girls school where she could be protected and ignorant without consequence. But in other ways, being exposed to the world like she had never been before was like being locked up her whole life and finally taking a breath of fresh, outside air.

"I thought after that party you became a greaser girl." Johnny said, leading them both into their history classroom. They had arrived early, and only a few girls in the front row were occupying seats.

Sitting down in their usual spot near the back and by the windows, Ellie took out her books and dropped them onto her desk with a sense of surly attitude. "What night? What party? I have no idea what you're talking about-"

Johnny shrugged and swung his backpack onto his table so that he could get out his own supplies. "I could have sworn you went to a party with Sylvia's gang."

"Nope." Ellie shook her head and prayed for the class to start. Students were filing in more steadily, but the teacher had yet to arrive.

"No?" He looked up, tapping the tip of his pencil on his chin as he thought. "Are you sure? I very distinctly remembering hearing about you getting drunk and then... hm... Something about you and Dally cuddling on Pony's couch?"

Ellie blanched. Her heart was beating so strongly in her chest she was sure the whole room could hear it. "C-cuddling? We weren't cuddling!"

Johnny looked taken back. "You did _more_ than cuddling?"

"Johnny!" Ellie cried softly, covering her red face with her hands. "Can't you boys take five minutes out of the day to _not_ tease me?"

He had the decency to look a little apologetic, running a hand through his hair sheepishly. "Sorry... But you're just so easy to rile up."

"You boys are unbearable." Ellie grumbled as the teacher came in and dropped her bag on the front desk.

Miss Avandi was old and had a face full of wrinkles and warts, but she was generally kind on a good day, and uncaring on a bad one. She was five years overdue for retirement.

"Open up to chapter five and answer the ten questions at the end." She groaned, falling into her chair. She dropped her head into her hand and closed her eyes, appearing like she was about to fall asleep.

Ellie and Johnny exchanged a look, shrugged, and opened their textbooks. She was glad to have a little bit of a break away from conversation- it gave her a chance to cool the fire in her cheeks. Did _everyone_ know what happened that night? Everyone but her? All she could remember was waking up, straddling Dally's legs and drooling on his jeans with her skirt so high it exposed everything. How could she have allowed that to happen? Even if nothing major had occurred, it was still much more than she was ever willing to offer a man, let alone Dallas Winston. Johnny had been right; maybe he as nice _sometimes_, but he was still a dangerous hood that wouldn't give a hoot about her heart if she gave it to him. She needed to take a step back, or several steps, until she found the Ellie buried deep inside her that wouldn't dare touch a boy that her father hadn't done a full background check on first.

She would stay a good distance away from him from now on.

She would talk to _different_ boys. Boys her mother would approve of. Smart, charming, non-swearing boys.

Ellie looked up and glanced around the room, but there was slim pickings in her history class- wait, was that the guy in the library that had yelled at Pony? It was. His back was to her, but she recognised the green collared shirt, his beautiful oat hair, and all that gosh-darn muscle. In a few years, he'd be as big as Darry, surely.

"When did he join our class?" Ellie whispered to Johnny, "Is he new?"

Johnny jumped, having fallen asleep with his face plastered to the textbook. "Huh? Who?"

She pursed her lips and nudged her head towards Library Boy. "Him."

He rubbed his eyes and tried and failed to fix the mop of hair on his head. He hadn't greased it back in a few weeks on account of a nasty cut she had spotted that day at the diner, but it didn't look particularly bad on him.

Glancing lazily at Library Boy, Johnny shrugged. "He's been here since freshman year… and I'm pretty sure you were partnered up with him for that little survey we had to do in class that one time?"

Ellie narrowed her eyes and tilted her head. "Was I? We get paired up so often…"

"Yeah," Johnny snorted, "But he was too busy blushing at you to mention his name, let alone actually speak."

"Really!" Ellie gasped, utterly surprised. A boy that thought she was pretty enough to be shy around? She stared penetratingly at his back for the rest of class, wondering what was going on in his head. Did he still think she was cute? Did he want to ask her on a date? Would she say yes? Was he smart? Was he handsome? Yes, yes she supposed he was, in an all-American way. But was he nice? Was he wealthy? Could she fall asleep on a couch with him without wondering if she had been violated the next morning? She could bet Library Boy didn't swear, either.

"Wow." Ellie muttered, half an hour later.

Johnny shot up again.

"A boy that_ likes_ me."

"Girls," He muttered, rolling his eyes, "Always obsessing over every little thing."

Ellie pouted and leaned back, ripping her eyes away from one boy to the other. "Oh, hush-up and let me have my moment. Anyway, what do you know about girls? You've never even dated one."

"Have you ever dated a boy?"

"Touché."

When the bell rang once more, Ellie made sure to catch Library Boy's gaze and smile. To her great delight, he gave a shy, awkward smile back. He really _was_ handsome, though his rosy cheeks and boyish face made him look eons younger than his muscles implied.

She was equally happy when he moved to speak to her as they entered the hall.

"Uh, hi." He muttered, glancing down at his shoes and then back at her nervously. "Sorry about that in the library. I can get awfully riled up sometimes."

Johnny wavered uncomfortably on the sidelines before deciding to head off. He patted Ellie's arm in goodbye and then headed towards his locker on the first floor.

Ellie brushed her hands over her skirt to straighten it out. "Oh! It wasn't such a big deal, anyhow. It was sweet of you to come to my rescue, though. Even if I didn't need it."

"It didn't look like you were alright." Library Boy leaned down a little, searching her face for… something. "You don't have to hang out with those types of kids, you know."

Taking a step back, she shrugged and tried to place confidence on her face. "What do you mean, 'those type of kids'? Ponyboy's a sweetheart. We were only fooling around."

"Right." Library Boy nodded, his face turning even redder. She wondered how he could have had so much confidence confronting Pony, when he had trouble even finishing his sentences with her. It must have been because Pony was still a freshman.

"I'm Ben." He blurted out after a beat of silence, sticking out his hand automatically.

Ellie laughed, not cruelly, but at the way he was so flustered, and shook his offered hand. "I'm Ellie."

"C-can I maybe walk you to your next class?" Ben asked, running a hand through his hair. Her heart fluttered at the sight of it- she definitely had a thing for blondes.

She moved to walk a little closer, grinning up at him. He was so much taller than her- it would look a little funny if they kissed, with him leaning down so far.

"Sure! But could we stop by at my locker first?"

They chatted as they made their way down the stairs, mostly about school and the classes they were taking. Ben was funny, soft-hearted, and on the honor-roll. Ellie found herself gently attracted to his shyness and the flustered, awed looks he gave her when he thought she wasn't looking.

Truth be told, she was a little peeved to see Pony, Johnny, and Two-Bit crowded around her locker. And she was even more annoyed to see Dally there, denting the metal door with his shoulder.

"Uh…" Ellie squeaked under their penetrating gazes. "Maybe you should walk me to class tomorrow. I just remembered I have to talk to Johnny about… a project."

Ben had pulled up that tough-guy vibe once more, standing to his full height as he accepted the boys challenge to a stare-off. "Are you sure? I don't mind waiting for you."

Somehow the thought of having the boys meeting Ben seemed terrifying. Besides, she doubted they'd get along. Socs and Greasers didn't mix, she had to remind herself for the millionth time.

"Yeah!" She reached up and squeezed his bulging forearm affectionately. "I'll see you tomorrow, okay? It was really nice meeting you!"

She stepped away before he could make any more protests. She'd make progress with him later on, when the boys weren't breathing down her neck.

They were all giving her funny looks as she walked up to them.

"What?" She asked, beet red.

"Who's the meat-head?" Two-Bit asked with a teasing nudge to her side, "Your new boyfriend?"

"N-no!" Ellie stuttered, forcing herself to look up and gesture for Dallas to scoot of her way. He gave her an intimidating look before grudgingly moving to let her at her lock. "And his name is Ben, not 'meat-head'."

"O-o-o-o-oh," Dallas mocked, wiggling his eyebrows at her, "First name basis. Don't go too fast now, kiddo. Men like it when you play hard."

She fumbled nervously with her lock, cursing it for being so temperamental. It was a struggle to open, and it was even more of a struggle not to recall blurry memories of asking Dallas intimate questions, clinging onto his legs. She hadn't been playing very hard _then_.

It seemed every little moment she had with Dallas was fitted for deep repression.

"Well that's good then," Ellie muttered uncomfortably, "Because we were just talking."

"Wasn't that the guy that tried to bash my brains out at the library?" Pony asked, watching Ben saunter down the hall to meet a few of his friends.

She shook her head fervently. "Nope!"

"Yes it is…" Ponyboy insisted, "He was gunna beat the crud out of me, and you decided to chat him up?"

Ellie finally managed to open her locker and occupied herself with gathering her books instead of looking at any of them directly. "He was not going to beat you up. Anyway, it wasn't like you were being very reasonable either."

Pony pointed to himself, frustration evident in his face. "He came up to _me_! I didn't even look at him-"

"He thought you were hurting me!" She defended sulkily, "And he's really not so bad. Anyway! Why are you all hanging around my locker, looking like a pack of hungry wolves?"

Johnny jammed his hands into his jean-jacket pockets and stared at his shoes. "I may have let slip that you were being picked up…"

"By a Soc." Ponyboy added, "And Two-Bit and Dally wanted to see what he looked like-"

Dallas straightened. "Yeah. Wanted to see what the face of a desperate idiot looked like."

Ellie felt that sinking feeling drop in her chest at his words and the boys immediately caught her crestfallen expression.

"Dally…" Johnny muttered with nervous disapproval, "Come on, man…"

He shrugged and Ellie felt as if she could cry from embarrassment. It shouldn't matter what he said about her! She wished desperately that they'd just drop it and move on.

Two-Bit crossed his arms over his chest and set the other boy with a hard look. "You ought to apologize."

"Oh, fuck off Two-Bit." Dallas growled. Turning to Ellie, he ruffled her hair until strands of it fluffed up into her face. "The little Princess should know I'm only fucking joking."

Johnny left his spot beside Two-Bit to clap Ellie on the shoulder. He had been looking tensely at the two boys before breaking into a snort. "That's as close to an apology as you'll ever get from Dallas Winston, kiddo. Better relish the moment."

Feeling a smile rise up on her face, Ellie fixed her hair the best she could and readjusted her books in her hands. "Awe, I forgive you Dallas!"

He responded by ruffling her hair again; this time so roughly that she had to duck away before he gave her dreadlocks.

"I change my mind!" She squealed, still laughing. "You are unforgivable!"

The other boys watched on with amusement.

"You've caught him on a good day." Two-Bit explained, "Any other day, he'd be bitching up a storm about being told off."

Dallas resumed his resting position against Ellie's locker and pointed a finger at the joker of the group. "Watch it, Mathews. I ain't in _that_ great of a mood."

Two-Bit ignored him. "Dallas always gets annoyingly happy and energetic when rodeo season comes around."

"'Cause he gets paid." Johnny said.

"Oh right," Ellie nodded thoughtfully, "I remember, you're a jockey."

Dally nodded. "For Slash J. And I do bull riding, if I can risk the injury."

She tried to picture him racing on a horse next to all those small men and figured he was probably the biggest, slowest jockey ever. Bull riding, however, seemed like the perfect kind of job for such a rough kid.

"I've never been to a rodeo." She said idly, wondering if she was going to be late to class if she hung around any longer. It occurred to her then that Dallas didn't even go to school with them.

"There's one this weekend." Ponyboy told her, his eyes roaming the now nearly empty halls, probably thinking he'd be late to class as well.

Two-Bit perked up and threw his arm over her shoulder. "Hey, yeah! You should come! Maybe there's some cowgirl hidden deep inside you, waiting to be set free."

Dallas popped a cigarette between his lips and assessed Ellie briefly. He always seemed to be doing that- running his eyes over her every so often like he was making sure she was still that random Soc girl that tagged along with his gang. "Doubt it."

"I'll come." She answered, purely because she knew Dallas didn't really want her to. A twinge of spiteful glee sparked in her to see him frown at her words. Maybe she'd even go dressed up as a cowgirl, ignoring the mud that was bound to cling onto her expensive boots and keeping her complaints about animal cruelty to herself.

That would show Dallas Winston… show him what, she wasn't exactly sure. But it would definitely show him.

Ellie and Ponyboy rolled the car windows all the way down on the way home, hoping a breeze would cool the sauna her vehicle had become after a long day sitting in the parking lot.

"You need to set this beast on fire." Pony moaned at the sound of her breaks squealing. "Because I'm about one hundred percent sure it's possessed."

"Would you rather walk?"

Pony crossed his arms and sunk down in his seat so no one could spot him in such a broken down car. He was always so embarrassed by it, but it was eons better than getting harassed on the street.

Ellie tapped her fingers on the wheel to the beat of some crappy song. "So… you're not mad that I was talking to Ben, right? I mean… that stuff in the library was just a misunderstanding…"

"Whatever." Pony sighed, "I just… I can't stand how our kind are always the ones portrayed as these scummy, girl-beating, criminal dirt-bags when Soc boys cruise around here all the time, finding lone chicks and sticking their fucking hands all over them."

Ellie shifted uncomfortably, keeping her gaze on the road. "But… not all of them are the same, right? I mean, Ben wouldn't… he wouldn't do that…"

Pony shrugged. "Whatever. Whose car is that?"

They had pulled into their street and inside of Ellie's driveway was a shiny red convertible, much nicer than any of the cars seen in East Tulsa. Ponyboy sat up in his seat to get a clearer look at it, mouth agape.

He nearly broke his neck from whiplash when Ellie slammed on the breaks, parking messily by the curb. Without so much as a goodbye, she hurtled inside, ignoring the smouldering heat coming from the thermostat. Her grandmother had been having bouts of cold-flashes lately so Ellie had been suffered right along with her.

"Daddy!" She shrieked, pouncing onto the back of the man standing in her living room.

* * *

**I KNOW I KNOW, WHY WAS THERE LIKE, ZERO DALLAS/ELLIE ACTION? I'm super sorry, I promise next chapter will have a really good one... involving rodeos and embarrassing fathers. It'll be great. I'm just crazy tired rn and this week has been hectic as hell with work and school and grad etc so bear with me homies. I know this is a slow ass burn but... I have a lot of good shit planned for when they get closer (wink wink). Also sorry if writing quality is shit. I really half-ass edited this chap because I'm sleeeppyy.**

**Also, if you guys haven't noticed, the names to the chapters are songs that I think go with this fic. Just an FYI haha. This ones 'Come a Little Closer' by Cage the Elephant. You should check it out.  
**

**I love and live off reviews! So review! Please! On the good, the bad, what you like, what you hate... and if you have anything you think I should add... REVIEW! Or i'll kill Ellie off at the end. KIDDING! Haha...**

**See you next week my lovely lovelies!**


	9. King of the Rodeo

9.

Dust plumed up behind her father's convertible as they raced down the rural road. The weather was perfect; much cooler than usual with a pleasant breeze that kept Ellie from turning out like a sweaty pig.

"You look happy." Ellie's father, Daniel, commented from his position in the driver's seat. "Didn't think I'd ever see you excited to go to a county rodeo of all places."

Ellie reached up and swung her French-braid over her shoulder playfully. "Well, I'm a changed person now, Daddy. I'm rugged and such."

She thought of telling him all the things she had been up to, like going to a party and drinking. She wasn't used to keeping secrets from him; they had always been so close and she had never done anything that she couldn't tell him about before. But instinct kept her mouth shut and she was surprised to find herself without that guilty feeling. It wasn't as if she had done anything _too_ rebellious.

"Uh huh." He hummed, "Is that why you insisted on buying a whole new outfit? Because you've become too rough and tough for your usual dresses?"

The day after her father had arrived, she had practically forced him into taking her shopping. It had taken a long time and a lot of arguing before he had allowed her to buy a pair of cowboy boots and a red, checkered, button-up, sleeveless shirt. Jeans, however, was where Daniel put his foot down, so Ellie had opted for a pleated navy skirt. She felt a little silly with it all on, like she had when Sylvia dressed her up like a Greaser. Yet she was oddly attracted to the idea of looking like someone entirely different from Soc Ellie. Dressing like a Greaser, she realized, had allowed her to loosen up more than Soc Ellie would ever allow. Maybe Country Ellie would find herself riding a bull.

She pictured herself on a bucking animal for all of two seconds before being thrown to the ground and giggled. Maybe not. Maybe she'd stick to getting her boots a little muddy.

But just a little.

Having never even seen a photograph of a rodeo, Ellie had assumed it was something akin to a circus, only with horses. But instead of a big tarp and scary, bearded ladies, there was only one big arena set up under an open sky and hundreds of cowboys with these leather covers over their jeans that flapped around when they walked. There was a tall set of stands to the left of the arena with a little steel overhang to shade the hundreds of people already seated. On the opposite side, animals were being herded from trailers to pens by their owners in preparation for the show.

Ellie found Sodapop, Steve, Two-Bit, Johnny, and Ponyboy somewhere in the middle of the stands. Ellie would have thought they would look out of place with their suburban greaser attire, but the rodeo seemed like a popular event for all types of people, a good amount being soc families as well as greasers, country folk, and even a few city-types.

"Hey!" Soda hollered, waving his hand in the air to catch her attention. They had been all overly eager to meet her father when she had announced his arrival in town, and she was glad to see they had taken her request for 'best behaviour' to heart. Dressed in their cleanest, newest clothes, Ellie also felt a little bad to see them go so far to make her happy. She had honestly just meant for them to take a good shower and ease up on the hair-grease. Even Two-Bit seemed more sober than usual.

"Hi!" Ellie grinned as they moved to sit beside Ponyboy and Two-Bit. Soda, Steve and Johnny sat in the row under them and they turned their heads to say hello as she introduced them all to her father.

"It's nice meeting you." Soda, the most social of the group, stuck his hand out for a shake. "You're daughter has told us a lot about you, sir."

Her father turned to raise an eyebrow at her. "Has she now?"

Ellie rolled her eyes and nodded. "Apparently that's _all_ I talk about."

Much to her surprise, the boys and her father hit it off rather well as they waited for the rodeo to begin. She had expected some awkwardness and hostility, considering they were a group of boys hanging around his only daughter. But as soon as cars had been mentioned, they were chatting like old friends.

The competitions started with what Pony explained as the Grand Entry. The riders circled the arena, around forty in total with most of them in their twenties, riding big, muscular horses with shiny coats. Some of them were holding flags, and on the speakers, a man was listing off their names and sponsors. Dallas came out as one of the last, sitting on a long-legged, deep brown horse with a black cowboy hat dropped over his locks.

"That's Dally, right there." Two-Bit pointed him out for them all. He had been right, Dallas did look a little funny dressed in something besides the usual t-shirt.

"That's Dallas Winston." Ellie explained to her father as they waited for the competitors to finish their lap. "He jockeys and rides bulls."

"Winston, huh?" Daniel squinted down towards the dirt field. "Where's he from?"

"Here." Pony answered, "But he lived in New York for a little while. Do you know him?"

"I probably knew his father." Ellie's father replied. "Where abouts do they live?"

Pony shrugged. "Dunno. Dally doesn't live with his pops, though I hear he became a trucker a few years back."

Daniel nodded and they all stood up for 'The Star-Spangled Banner'. After that, the riders filed out of the arena and the announcers came back on to introduce the first event as calf-roping. Ellie watched with a mixture of interest and horror as baby cows were lassoed, wrestled, and tied up in a matter of seconds. Then came team-roping, where both cowboys and cowgirls teamed up in pairs to lasso a big bull's hind legs and horns to get it to fall. The events continued on with barrel racing, steer wrestling (during which Ellie was sure every participant was going to break their necks), and pole bending. In-between the competitions, trick-riders came out and did all kinds of balancing acts atop their horses. Ellie liked that the best, mostly because it reminded her of a more extreme version of the gymnastics classes she had been forced into as a child.

"Daddy," Ellie started in her sweetest voice, as a woman slid upside down on the side of her ride. "I want to do that."

"Okay." He replied, "Like you wanted to learn how to play piano, but didn't actually want to attend any of the lessons?"

"Exactly." She smiled, "Actually, maybe I just want a horse. Daddy, will you buy me a pony?"

Two-Bit nudged Ponyboy, pushing him into Ellie, and said, "He's not for sale."

"No!" Ellie laughed and nudged the boys back, "I mean a _real_ pony."

Daniel dismissed her with a chuckle.

"Dad!" Ellie pouted. "Really!"

"Fine!" He sighed, placing a hand on her head to settle her down. "How about this? You be good and keep your grades up, and I'll buy you a whole goddamn ranch with a stable full of any damn animal you want."

Ellie broke out into a grin and bounced in her seat. "Really? Do you mean it? Do you promise?"

"I promise." He said, smiling weakly. "You want a goddamn unicorn? You got it."

She threw her arms around his neck and kissed his cheek as the boys looked on in wonder.

"Did..." Soda stuttered in shock, "Did you just get your father to agree to buy you a fu- ...freakin' horse? Just by asking?"

Ellie shrugged. "How else do you get one?"

Two-Bit looked as if he had just seen God. "Just how loaded _are you_?"

Even Steve, who seemed uninterested in everything except for the events happening in the rodeo, tore himself away to ask Daniel, "Ellie says you work in sales, right?"

Her father turned to give her a funny look. "Sales? You tell people I'm in sales?"

Ellie shrugged again, her attention back on the woman standing on her horse, arms outstretched. "What? I thought that's what you do."

"Sure," He muttered after a while, "I guess I am in sales..."

Steve nodded, "Well, what _kind_ of salesman are you, because_ I_ want to afford to give my kids a goddamn ranch just 'cause they ask for it."

"First off, don't swear in front of my daughter." Though he didn't at all seem to be upset about it, "And secondly... well, it takes a lot of work to become as wealthy as I am, son. Anyone can be a... salesman. But it takes years of luck and struggle to become a _good_ one."

When the woman went back through the gate, Ellie was disappointed. She didn't care much about the other events, but she liked watching the women do tricks. But she was excited again when Soda told her they'd do bonc riding and bull riding next.

"Dally only does bull riding." Johnny explained, "'Cause it's more dangerous than bronc riding. He's gotta stay on for eight seconds to qualify."

Eight seconds didn't sound too long to Ellie, but after watching the first man, a muscled beast himself, get bucked off after one strong kick of his horse in less than two seconds, she realized it must have been harder than it looked. She watched, stunned, as men came out on horses and then bulls and came back over the gates as bags of bone. Some men even slid off their animals only to be dragged across the arena, their faces in the dirt and their foot still stuck in the stirrup. Others fell off their bulls only to be charged at, receiving a face full of horns for their troubles. By the time Dallas was announced as the next contestant, she was sick to her stomach with fear.

"Who would even think about doing this?" Ellie squealed, having spent the last five minutes with her hands on her cheeks and her mouth agape. "It's craziest thing!"

"That's the fun of it." Two-Bit told her, "I would do it if I wasn't so damn handsome. Can't risk screwing up God's gift to the world, ya' know?"

There was a chorus of groans and insults from his friends before they all hushed up to watch Dally. Already mounted on the bull inside a little pen, it was hard not to be equal parts worried and excited for him. Even from a great distance, she could see that reckless grin he had stretching across his face as he grabbed hold of the rope attached to the beast and nodded. The moment the gate was opened, the bull reared up on its hind legs and then back on it's front, kicking up so high that Ellie was sure he it was over for him.

"He's going to die!" Ellie cried, reaching over to grab her father's arm tightly, "Oh God, he's going to die!"

Beside her, Pony started to laugh and Soda turned around to pat her knee.

"He's fine, see? It's already been four seconds and he's still on."

Ellie couldn't watch it. That reckless idiot was going to snap his neck and become a vegetable. And for what? A few seconds of manly glory and a handful of cash?

The bull twisted and shook savagely, anything to flick Dallas off. Yet the boy endured, his legs pressed tight to the sides of the animal and his arm swinging freely in the air.

Pony put a hand on her shoulder as the buzzer went off. "See, he's fine. And he stayed on for all eight seconds."

Two-Bit leaned back and whistled. "That's a record for the big idiot too."

"Hey," Soda grinned and patted her knee again. "Maybe you're good luck, Ellie!"

Ellie retracted her death grip from her father's arm and took a deep breath to calm her racing heart. "Why aren't you more worried about him? He could have broken his back-"

"Dally's been doing this kind of stuff for years, Ellie." Johnny told her as he watched Dallas walk back through the gates as a rodeo clown distracted the angry bull. "There's no use in worrying."

After the bulls, there were more trick riders. This time around, however, Ellie was a little disinterested, and it seemed so was everyone else. Bronc riding and bull riding seemed to have been the main attraction, and now that it was over, the crowd was slowly thinning out. They did a round of goat tying and steer daubing, where the participants were mostly younger teens, before capping it off with a race.

"They don't usually do races in rodeos." Ellie's father commented.

"Yeah," Steve replied, "But sometimes they do little races at the end of shows, not for competition, but so the companies can sort of... get the crowd interested in their horses. Sort of like a commercial. If they see the horse race and they think it has a chance at winning at a real race, they'll come along and bid on it when the time comes."

Two-Bit rubbed his hands together gleefully. "Oh, I can't wait to see Dallas in that fu- fudgin' jockey outfit. I always get a real kick outta it!"

The announcer came back on a few minutes later, after a chalk line had been made in the dirt to signify the boundaries of the race. It created an inner circle so that the horses, three in total, would run along the fence.

"This is the last game of the day, folks!" The man on the speaker said cheerfully, "A flat race of two laps! These fine horses will be racing in the next derby, so be sure to remember their names when you bet! Our first horse is a thoroughbred named Spring, owned by Slash J!"

Dallas came out then, looking no worse for wear even after his bull stunt. His competitors were small and thin, but there wasn't as much difference as Ellie thought there would be. Dallas was built averagely for a man, but his young age still allowed him to be light enough to compete.

They could hardly hear the buzzer over Two-Bit's laughter.

Spring, true to it's name, sprang forward at the sound with an immediate head-start. The other horses charged after them, one of horses managing to get head to head with it's competitor. Ellie immediately abandoned her assumption of Dally being an awful jockey. It was clear in the first few seconds that he was in fact very talented. With his body bent low and his legs bundled up high for speed, he had amazing control of the animal underneath him. She had never pictured him to be good at anything, really, except for stealing and general mayhem, but the way he rode made it clear he had practised and dedicated time towards his sport.

"He's good, isn't he?" Pony mumbled quietly to her as the rest of them watched on. He had seen her awed expression. "Jockeying's the only thing Dally's ever actually cared about, I think. And it's the only honest thing he's ever one, too."

Ellie nodded, eyes glued as Dallas hunched lower, pushing Spring to overcome the other horses on the last stretch. Even with the helmet and goggles obscuring his face, she could feel an intensity radiating from him.

"Yeah..." Ellie whispered back, "He's amazing."

The stood up and cheered along with the boys when Dally one first place.

They wandered slowly towards the dusty parking lot, chatting amiably with each other. Her father seemed to have taken a liking towards Steve and Soda, both of them excited to see his convertible. Ellie was relieved. in truth, she didn't know how he'd react to finding out most of her friends were boys. She was half expecting him to have an aneurism and be sent to a boarding school in Africa. They finally cleared out after nearly thirty minutes of car-talk, their faces two inches away from the convertible's engine as they ooh-ed and awe-ed. Her father had invited them all for dinner the next night, which meant Ellie would be spending her whole day cooking and cleaning while they drank and talked about football and hub-caps (_or whatever boys talked about_, she thought). Maybe she'd invite Sylvia, just so she wouldn't have to bare another word about cars.

"Daddy," Ellie began before he could get in the driver's seat. "Can we go and look at the horses for just a second? I want to see what kind and colour I want."

He shrugged and lit a cigarette before leading her towards the horse trailers that took up half the lot. "Sure, darling."

"You'll get me a baby, right?" She asked as they wandered around, un-bothered as they admired the horses. Most of them were thick and sturdy, made for bronc riding, but Ellie was focused more on their colours and facial shapes. She'd want a pretty horse, after all. Everything else didn't matter too much.

"A filly, darling." Daniel corrected, "But sure. You see anything you like?"

She really wanted a tall, white or black one... or even Dallas' horse, with it's coat so dark and shiny that it was_ almost_ black.

A big, burly cowboy came up to them then, his hair as red as the sun and his gut flopping over his large belt buckle. "Well, if it isn't Daniel Carter, in the fucking flesh!"

The two men hugged, patting each other roughly on the back as Ellie looked on curiously.

"Hey Slash," Daniel greeted merrily, "Haven't seen you since we were kids!" He kept his hands on Slash's shoulders, eyeing him up and down. "You look a hell of a lot different."

Slash snorted unflatteringly. "You look just the same! Though I didn't think I'd ever see you in designer clothes, you fuckin' hood."

Daniel gave his shoulder a tight squeeze and then turned towards his daughter. "James Slash, this is my daughter, Elizabeth."

Her father's friend took off his cowboy hat and tipped his head as he exclaimed, "Well howdy, little lady. You look exactly like your mother, ya' know? She was a goddamn bombshell when I knew her."

Ellie flushed and tried to smile. "Thanks. It's nice to meet you, sir."

"Ellie," Daniel waved towards the trailers, "Why don't you go on and keep looking at the horses? Let us men talk for a minute, okay little darling?"

She nodded vigorously, eager to get away.

"You ought to check out my own horse." Slash nudged his thumb towards a trailer hidden behind his large frame. "A thoroughbred. And she won the race today."

Ellie scrambled around them, smiling briefly in goodbye as she headed towards the trailer he had pointed out. Sure enough, Dallas was toiling over Spring, undoing the straps on her muzzle.

"Hi." She said, coming closer. She wanted to pet the horse but was worried she'd spook her.

"Hey." Dallas replied, raising an eyebrow at the sight of her. "You really did come, then?"

She pretended to be offended. "Of course I came! Thought I couldn't handle a bit of manure and dust?"

He stopped his ministrations to give her a good once over, a mild smile coming over him. "Huh. Well don't you look like a proper cowgirl? Did you buy a whole outfit just for this event?"

Ellie scoffed and leaned against the side of the trailer, though not before dusting the area off. "What about you? You don't look so much like a street-toughened city slicker now."

Dallas smirked as Ellie purposefully and exaggeratedly gave him her own once over. He was wearing a red, collared jacket with three white stripes on the sleeves and a black J embroidered on the back, white pants, and high black riding boots. His helmet, which had been hung by the lock of the trailer, was red with white trim. He looked very smart, if she was honest with herself, not at all like JD Dally. Maybe he liked dressing up as different people like Ellie did... maybe he needed a break from poor old Greaser Dally just like Ellie needed a break from Good-Girl Soc Ellie.

"I'm a man of many masks." Dallas drawled cryptically.

Ellie giggled and moved closer once more. "Can I pet her?"

"Why not?" Dallas moved aside and Ellie placed her hand at the horse's nose so she could take a whiff of her scent like she would with a dog. When Spring gave her hand a little nudge, Ellie braved a little pat on her snout. She was a truly beautiful animal, with a shiny coat and the tiniest speck of white between her bright eyes.

"Wow." Ellie whispered.

"Don't be so nervous." Dallas told her, grabbing her hand hastily and placing it just under Spring's mane. "Ruby is pretty friendly, as long as you don't touch her legs."

Ellie gave the animal a little scratch along her neck and turned to look at him. "Ruby?"

Dallas moved around her so he could start undoing the straps again. "She doesn't look like a Spring."

"But why Ruby?" She asked, giggling as the horse turned her head away from Dallas to give Ellie's shoulder a light nudge.

He gave up on the straps and grabbed a brush from the trailer. "Jesus, I don't know. It's a nice name. Anyway, she kind of reminds me of Ruby Curtis."

Ellie didn't have to ask who that was. Johnny had told her once that when the boys had lost their parents, Dallas had too.

"She_ does_ look like a Ruby." She agreed, laughing a little louder as Ruby's breath tickled her shoulder.

She didn't realize Dallas had been watching her until she looked up and locked eyes with him.

"Wanna ride her?" He asked.

He scoffed at the excitement on her face and grabbed a strap to lead Ruby towards a far fence with an open field behind it. Ellie glanced nervously towards Slash and her father, but they had their backs turned and were too busy catching up to notice their little escapade.

"I'm just going to go ahead and assume you're not allowed to do this?" Ellie commented as they followed the edge of the fence towards it's gate.

Pulling up the latch, Dallas winked at her before leading Ruby into the tall grass. Unconcerned about being led away, she bent her head to graze as he moved beside Ellie.

"Alright," He gestured towards the stirrup, "Put your foot there."

Ellie made a poor attempt and hiking her foot high enough and failed. "It's too high!" She complained.

Rolling his eyes, Dallas mounted the horse in one fluid, graceful movement and then stuck his hand out to her. Ellie glanced at it hesitantly, then back towards her father.

"You wanna ride a horse or you wanna stand there, getting old, gnawing your lip and wondering if your pops approves?" Dallas asked.

His grip was rough, like sandpaper, but it was strong and it took little effort to help her mount up in front of him.

"Grab hold of the saddle horn." Dally mumbled, his breath whispering through her hair and the corner of her ear. Ellie's back was flush against his chest and she could feel the muscles in his thighs flex against hers as he urged Ruby into a walk. He smelled like freshly turned soil, cigarettes, and Old Spice.

_I'm an idiot_, Ellie told herself, eyes screwed up despite the amazing view the country provided. Her heart was thumping heavily and her skin was burning up so violently she was sure her blush was moving down to her arms. And then, _God_, he draped his arm around her torso to secure her and she _actually_ gasped out loud.

His chest rumbled with laughter.

"Calm down." He slowed Ruby and dropped his chin onto her shoulder, inches away from nuzzling her neck. His ring finger hand managed to worm it's way under the hem of her button-up and was running lazy circles across the skin on her hip. "I don't bite."

She did _not_ feel like all her bones had burnt up and evaporated. She did_ not_ have to fight the urge to tilt her head around and kiss him with all the sloppy urgency she felt building up in her. And she did _not_ want him to drag her off the horse, throw her into the grass and...

"You're a corn-ball." She squealed, wincing at the sound of her voice. "And I want to go faster."

He laughed again and said, "Oh?"

Pushing Ruby into a trot, Dallas moved up a little so that his cheek was level with her temple and she could hear every deep breath he took.

"I've got to say," Ellie offered as she got used to being jostled up and down on the saddle. "You're in an awfully good mood today. I think you're actually being nice, too."

"I'm always nice to you, dumb-ass." Dally grumbled.

Ellie huffed disbelievingly. "You are _never_ nice!"

Dallas lead them across the field, drifting farther and farther away from the rodeo lot and more towards a scattering of willow trees. "I'm nicer to you than I am to most girls... even if you are a huge pain in the ass."

"Excuse me?" She dug her elbow into his rib and tried twisting around to glare at him. "Pain in the ass? I am nothing but kind and patient-"

"And overly chatty, and annoying, and clingy." He listed off, interrupting her. "And you got that stupid habit of biting your lip that drives me goddamn nuts. I swear, you gnaw on that thing like you want ta' eat it."

"I do not have that habit." Ellie protested, turning back around.

"What about you?" She went on, "You aren't Prince Perfect, either. You're rude, and stubborn, and I don't think you'd survive a day without getting into trouble."

Dallas retracted his hand to brush his fingers through his hair. He had left it ungreased so that it curled around his ears and flopped onto his forehead. And it held such a peculiar colour of blonde. Almost golden in the sunlight, and silver under the moon. He looked younger with it down, and less severe.

"That sounds like a list of _good _qualities, if you ask me."

Dallas lead Ruby through the willows, bringing the horse into a slow walk so they could weave around the trunks. He seemed so content then, letting the long, wispy branches tickle their shoulders as he soaked in the last rays of the fading sun. Sitting there in his riding outfit, there was no sign of the JD from Tulsa; no jagged edges, no cold looks, no walls. He had the same smirk on his face, yet even that had lost it's cruel touch. Ellie could almost forget to be afraid of him. But not quite.

"You did really well in the rodeo." She told him, bringing her hand out to run it along the bark of the tree. "But that bull riding nearly gave me a heart attack. I thought you were going to break your neck and die."

"Awe," Dallas cooed mockingly, "I didn't know you cared so much, Princess."

"I don't!" Ellie would have crossed her arms over her chest if it didn't mean loosing her balance. "I just didn't want to see it happen right in front of my eyes."

"You're the worst liar I've ever heard." He told her, roping his arm around her once more. "So don't even pretend like you wouldn't cry your eyes out if I got an injury."

She stuck her nose out in the air. "I'd cry tears of joy."

Dally snorted. "How come you're sweet as pie to everyone but me, huh? After all I did for you today, letting you ride my horse... And all I get is," At this point he began a horrible imitation of her voice. "You're rude and stubborn and troublesome, and I'd cry tears of joy when you're dead, Dallas Winston!"

"I like to think my voice is a little prettier than that. And... well, what do you want, a trophy for taking me on a pony ride riddled with insults and teasing?" Ellie asked, suddenly feeling less like a cage full of butterflies and a little more like an annoyed teenage girl.

At the end of the willow patch, they were elevated enough to see a few rolling hills covered in patches of green, brown, and honey, like the earth had been made out of a quilt. Ellie could understand why Dallas was so at peace; it was hard to be anything but calm and worry-free out there in the open. There were no buildings closing them off, or crowds to navigate. There was no one to impress, no rules to follow. He could take Ruby and ride and ride and ride and never come back, if he wanted. _He'd be like Peter Pan_, Ellie thought, _living forever in Neverland_. But that would have made her Wendy, because no matter how fond she was of the country, she'd have to go back to civilization eventually. That's where _she_ belonged, swallowing the rules and regulations of her middle-class life with an unfaltering smile. It was all she knew, it was all she would ever know, and truthfully, she kind of enjoyed having boundaries and expectations. If life was really a game, then she was addicted to playing it.

Ellie liked to imagine Dallas buying a farm when he was older, and having a million horses named after people like Johnny, and Soda, and Darry and even Tim Shepard. And he'd also buy Ruby, after she was retired from racing. Of course there'd probably be a horse named Dally Jr, because it's _Dallas_ and she could be he'd get a kick out of it. But maybe he'd even name one after her.

"I'd like a good roll in the hay, actually." Dallas said breezily, "But I suppose I'd settle with a trophy, as long as it's big and engraved with 'Dallas Winston, Number One Bull Rider and Panty Dropper-'"

Ellie _humph_-ed. "How about 'Dallas Winston, Number One Egotistical Idiot'?"

When the sun began to fade behind the willows, he turned them back around towards the trailer. "How about we scrap the whole trophy idea and stick to the roll in the hay?"

"Well..." Ellie propped her index finger on her lip in thought, "No, I don't think that's going to happen, sorry."

Dallas made a sound in the back of his throat, having been happily deceived by her pause. "Not even a quick one? Ya' know, I'm not used to being so nice to girls I ain't sleeping with."

She brushed her fingers through Ruby's mane, trying to overcome her discomfort towards the topic of intimacy. "Well, you're gunna have to get used to it because the only way you're going to '_drop my panties' _is if you marry me."

"Oh God." Disgruntled, Dallas didn't say anymore on the topic but pressed his heels into Ruby's side. Ellie gasped as they broke into a run, bouncing up and down on the saddle so wildly she could feel herself on the edge of falling. Wind tore at her skirt and stung at her eyes, and she could feel Dally press against her until they were both hunched over, willing his horse to go even faster. She would have yelled at him if she wasn't scared speechless.

In what seemed like only a few seconds, they were back on the other side of the tall grass field, edging along the fence in an easy trot. Dally's chest was heaving with laughter, but Ellie could only pry her tense fingers from around the saddle horn and pray for the strength not to cry. All the calmness of the country had left her and all she felt was as if she had woken up at the peak of a rollercoaster.

"You're an evil, evil boy." She ground out, feeling pain ripple on her thighs and bum where the hard leather had smacked against her. "And now you are definitely never getting a roll in the hay."

"You ought to be careful now." Dallas said, dropping his chin onto her shoulder again, a rueful smirk falling into place. "Your old man's noticed your absence."

Sure enough, James Slash and her Daniel Carter were leaning up against the fence, waiting for them. Slash looked more annoyed than mad; Ellie got the impression Dallas ran off with his horse regularly. Her father was a different matter. He had a cigarette dangling from his teeth and his arms crossed over his chest. His face was expressionless. Yet it revealed quite enough to Ellie- she was in a world of trouble.

Dallas lead the horse back behind the fence, stopping her in the same area she had occupied before.

"Thanks for the ride." Ellie said sullenly as they watched the two men come marching over.

"Thanks for the view of your cleavage." Dallas replied, and Ellie looked down to see that he did, in fact, have a great view of her heaving breasts.

Her father offered his hand and helped her dismount without a word.

"You goddamn idiot!" Slash growled, storming up to Dallas as he got off the horse as well. He gave him a few licks of hit cowboy hat and said, "What did I tell you about going off with my horse? Now I'm an hour behind schedule!"

Ellie spoke up beside her father, "It was my fault, sir. I forced him to teach me how to ride."

Slash's eyes darted from her face to her father's, and then back at her. He eased himself into a smile. "That's sweet o' you, little lady, but it's a crock of shit. Dallas has never done anything he hasn't wanted to do."

She deflated and cast her eyes down to her boots. There was a line of mud coating the bottom, two inches thick. She had gotten a little muddy after all.

"Dallas Winston." Her father drawled, pulling the cigarette from his mouth. "That's your name?"

Stubborn as always, Dally steeled himself with an aloof glare. "Yeah."

There was a moment of silence during which the two men sized each other up. Ellie's father was a sturdy man in his forties. He had grey in his chocolate comb-over, as well as crow's feet sprouting from the corners of his silver eyes. Though he looked expensively casual in a sports jacket and slacks, there was an intelligent and authoritative way about him that suggested he would look better in a business suit. Regardless, he surveyed the boy with an easy, confident smile. Dallas, on the other hand, looked like he always did- a wild beast with it's back to the wall.

"We're throwing a little dinner tomorrow night!" Ellie stepped up between them with an uneasy grin. "You two should come. I'm sure daddy would love to continue catching up with you, Mister Slash. And Dallas, all the boys are coming."

Dallas shrugged non-committally and turned away so he could tend to Ruby.

"Well, sure I'll come!" Slash brushed his thinning hair back, dropping his hat back on. "You aught to see if you can find any one else from back in the day, Daniel. Then we can have a little reunion, eh?"

"I'll see what I can do." Ellie's father nodded, putting a hand on her shoulder as he began steering his daughter away. "I'll see ya' tomorrow, Slash."

"See ya, Danny-boy! Nice meeting you, little cowgirl!"

Ellie turned a little so she could wave goodbye, but Dallas had his back to her and Slash J was already disappearing behind the trailer.

Nothing was said until they were halfway back to Tulsa.

"So, what do you think of my friends?" Ellie asked tentatively, trying to break the code in his expression. He was mad, she knew that much, but how mad?

Still, it took a little while longer for her father to reply. He was always making people wait for him to speak; he liked watching them squirm.

"They're nice boys, Elizabeth." He admitted.

Antsy, she took the bow from the bottom of her braid and began to unravel it. "But you don't approve?"

"No," He replied more quickly, "I approve of them... most of them. That Winston boy, however..."

With the wind whipping at her blouse and now free flowing hair, Ellie tipped her head back and closed her eyes. It was only seven in the evening, yet she felt so tired.

"Daddy, he's harmless. I've been here for months and no one, not even him, has made any indication that they wanted anything more from me than friendship. So don't worry about it."

Daniel flicked his bud into the air and it soared out behind them to hit the pavement. "I'm not worried. I trust you to be responsible and mature, Ellie. Why do you think I sent you out here alone? All I'm saying is, I don't like you hanging around a boy chaperoned."

When Ellie's father said he didn't like something, he really meant that he forbade it.

He shifted gears as they cruised into the highway. "I missed the days when I could convince you boys had cooties, darling."

* * *

**Mostly fluff, hahaha... Was that enough romance to hold you off for a week? I'm kinda picking up the pace here, so there'll be more s_exual seduction_ in the next chapter... But yeahhh... kinda don't know what to say... not sure if I like this chapter or not because I don't really know how well i'm writing these romantic scenes... do you guys get the chemistry vibe or are you all kinda like... ehhhhh?**

**Please review and tell me how I'm doing! Was this scene romantic enough? Was it too cheesy? Was it okay? Was it great? Was it awful? I would really love some feedback!**

**Also, thank you everyone for your reviews, and your favourites and follows! Glad to see there's so many people reading, even if you aren't reviewing!**


	10. Howling For You

"Grandma's taking a nap for a few hours. She asked to be woken at three, before the guests arrive." Ellie said, brushing a tear away from her eye. She had spent all morning cleaning the house, attacking every little dust bunny and bit of grime she could spot with her eagle eye. It took her best convincing skills just to get her father to mow the lawn and set up a few seats on the balcony. How many people he had managed to invite, she had no idea, but he had been on and off the telephone all night and morning, so it was to be assumed they would have a full house. She didn't mind so much, or at least, she was used to it. If there was one thing the Carters enjoyed, it was large social events. Maybe the company they expected weren't exactly the usual Chicago elites, nor would they care much about the state of her living room, but Ellie tidied the house and cooked the meals to the best of her ability anyway.

She had done pretty well until the onions had been brought out.

"You need help little darling?" Her father asked. After his slapdash performance of mowing (that took an hour longer because he kept getting distracted by the dogs) he had parked himself at the breakfast table, a beer in one hand and a cigarette in the other. She wished he wouldn't smoke in the house; it was stinking up the furniture.

Ellie put a hand on her hip and gave him a look over her shoulder, wielding a knife in her free fingers. "When's the last time you cooked dinner for people? I let you touch anything in this kitchen and we'll be eating the foam that comes out of the fire extinguisher."

Daniel got up and put out his cigarette in the kitchen sink before dropping the bud in the trash. "Baby darling, I feel like you've developed an attitude ever since you left."

"Daddy dearest," Ellie replied, wiping another onion tear from her eye. "That's what you get for abandoning your precious, vulnerable daughter in some backwater town to fend for herself."

He reached over and plucked up a raw piece of carrot that she had just finished cutting up. Then he grabbed the knife from her hands and ushered her to the side. "Kiddo, I really am sorry you got thrown out like that. But you would have been a little bit more prepared if your mother hadn't coddled you so much. You know, you and your brother were supposed to spend your summers out here with your uncle Sam, before he died. But your mama couldn't let you kids out of her sight for more than three hours."

Ellie thought back to her last night in Chicago. The whole day had been as usual as ever. She woke up, went to school, went shoe shopping with her mother, and then dinner with the family at Daddy's favourite restaurant downtown. She could even remember how annoyed her brother was with her that evening, when she kept stealing sips of his coke. Everything was fine... until her mother shook her awake around midnight. While they gathered her clothing into suitcases, it was explained that her father was going through some financial problems, and that Ellie would be shipped off with her grandmother to some little city called Tulsa, two states away. Still half asleep, she had been given an impromptu driving lesson from her brother and then sent on her way, granny snoozing and two dogs slobbering onto Ellie's shoulder. She had cried for most of the night, scared and confused and feeling utterly alone despite the company. But eventually her tears had run out and turned into anger. Anger at her parents for abandoning her. Angry for their cryptic reasons. Angry that they had sheltered her like a caged bird for so long and then expected her to know how to fly.

Her emotional state didn't help her driving, either. Half the time she was too scared to go past ten kilometers per hour, and at every intersection she'd manage to _just_ scrape by without getting T-boned.

She wasn't mad anymore, however. Somewhere between Quincy and Moberly, with the sun back in the sky, shining brightly through the car windows, her anger had faded and was replaced with her usual optimism. She'd get to meet new people! She'd get to have a new room and new furniture! The only adult she'd have to listen to was her grandmother, who probably wouldn't have cared if she set the house on fire! This would be like a vacation for Ellie. She'd relax, enjoy herself, and before she knew it, she'd be back home just in time for her friend's birthday party. Of course, that hadn't happened and her stay had dragged on... yet she found herself homesick less and less each day. Regardless, Chicago was where she felt she belonged, but Tulsa was (on the bright side) new and exciting, and she was determined to make her stay worthwhile.

Her silence seemed to have given him the wrong impression.

"Ellie darling," He sighed, sliding the knife into the counter. Ellie couldn't help but notice the bags under his eyes and the tiredness to his tone. Taking his time to wash his hands and dry them on a kitchen towel, his usually serious face was intensified by it's grimness. He gestured for her to approach and she did.

"Ellie, my darling girl." He sighed, cupping her face like he often did when he wanted her full attention. "You've always been very special to your mother and I, do you know that? It seemed to impossible for us to create such a perfect, innocent child. Your brother was a hellion, like we expected all our children to be, but you were as quiet and gentle as a mouse."

His eyes were glazed over as he thought back to those long ago days. It was not often her father spoke with such emotion and it made Ellie surprised... yet weary.

Petting her hair, he continued on, "I'd never seen a girl like you, Elizabeth. You were so trusting and joyful. There was not a drop of bad in you... in such a world where everything seemed so rough, you were untainted. And we were determined to make sure you stayed that way. I could argue that it worked; you're still as pure and loving as the day you were born... but we also coddled you far too much and it made you naïve. It was a bad choice to throw you into Tulsa. It's not a kind city, not to girls like you. Tulsa can change a person. But it was the only choice we had."

"Dad..." Ellie murmured, her silvery eyes wide with sentiment. "I'm not mad. I don't blame you..."

He shook his head. "Darling... I think I'm going to have to explain a few things about our family to you."

He lead her to a door on the main floor, between the living room and powder room. She had only gone inside once to clean it and had left it bare since. It was one of the worst rooms in the house; there was gaudy, peeling wallpaper on the walls and a few of the floor boards had been ripped out. Ellie coughed a little when they swung the door open and entered, unsettling the dust. It was still in the same shape she had left it, except for a few duffle bags tucked away in the cleanest corner.

"This was my old room." He explained, passing a hand over the cowboy themed wall. "Had it since I was born."

"Wow..." Ellie replied, unsure of what exactly he wanted from her.

He let out a little chuckle at the tone of her voice and turned back to her with a little smile. "Well, I guess we'll just get right to the point."

Ellie watched curiously as her father moved over to the duffle bags and heaved one into his arms.

He placed it at her feet and commanded, "Open it."

She made a face at him. "You do it! I feel like you put a bunch of spiders in it, or something..."

"Why would I do that?" He sighed, closing his eyes and pressing two digits into his temple. "Just do as I saw, Ellie darling."

She let out her own loud, exaggerated sigh and bent down. It was just a regular black duffle bag. She had seen her father drag them on the first day of his visit, late at night. She had just assumed it was his travelling luggage.

Now they looked a little menacing...

"No spiders, right?" Ellie asked, blinking up at him.

"No spiders." Her father nodded.

Ellie reached out to grab the slider between her fingers and it was cool to the touch. What amazing thing could possibly be in the bag? Why was it so important to her dad? And what did it have to do with her family? This was it. This was the moment that she would finally know why she had been sent off. This was the moment where everything she had ever wondered about her father and brother, with their hushed, midnight conversations and random business trips... She had always known her family was hiding _something_ from her, but she had never really known how to ask and assumed it would all be clear once she was older... and now was the time.

The zipper's teeth unhooked smoothly as she ran the slider down the length of the bag.

"Before you were born, Ellie, I moved the family from Tulsa to Chicago..." Her father went on, "One of my reasons was because I didn't want my children to grow up in the same waste hole I had to grow up in. Another was because I had far too many memories lingering in this house. But the most important reason was because Tulsa was not big enough of a city to house the dreams I had."

She glanced up once more, her finger curled under one of the bag's flaps, ready to pull it back and reveal the object that had shaped her life for the past few months.

"Dream?" Ellie inquired, staring up at him with wide eyes. "What do you mean, daddy?"

He fixed her with that serious, knowing expression and nodded towards the bag. "Open it."

She could feel something smooth and hard grazing the skin of her fingers. Slowly peeling back the flap, she saw a glint of metallic...

There was a heavy knock on the front door. Ellie shrieked with surprise, with fear, and with confusion. She bolted up and stumbled back a few steps, away from the bag and her father. Suddenly her hands felt dirty and she didn't know quite where to put them.

"Dad..." She whispered, "Was that... was that-,"

Hurriedly, he bent down and closed the bag.

"Go get the door." He demanded coolly, "We'll talk later."

Ellie couldn't move. Her heart was pounding in her chest and her face was as white as snow. She needed to know _right then_, not later. This wasn't something she could ignore or forget about until it was convenient. _Why?_ She thought to herself. There were other questions as well, like who, and when, and where, but really she just needed to know _why_.

"Dad-,"

Calm as ever, he straightened up, cupped her face in his hands once more, and looked sternly but gently into her eyes. "Ellie, go greet your friends, have a good time, keep your mouth shut about it, and we'll talk later. Do you understand me?"

Ellie nodded numbly. "Yes?"

He lead her back into the hall, turning around to lock the door. "Go answer the door, darling."

* * *

Dallas was kind-of relieved when Ellie let them in instead of her father. It wasn't because he was scared of him, or anything. He _wasn't_. But the truth was, he kind of hated adults. They were always giving him this look, like he was some monster that came up from the sewers. And the ones who didn't give him that look were giving him a_ different_ look, one he hated much more. Most of them just thought he was some stupid hood that didn't know one plus one... and well, on his bad days, that might have been true... but that didn't give them the right to treat him like dirt. The only adults that hadn't ever given him that look was Darry's parents. Ellie's father, however, definitely gave him that look, and much more.

Eventually he ended up sitting on the back porch with Darry, watching Soda and Pony throw around a football beside Ellie's feeble little garden plot. The girl herself was sitting at the patio table set up on the grass, learning how to play black jack with Two-Bit, and Steve. They were gambling with potato chips, and with just a glance at the table Dally could tell Ellie was kicking their asses. He didn't know if the boys were just letting her win, or if she was just really good at card games... but it was probably the former, considering Two-Bit's winning streak. Steve was pretty good at gambling, if he was in the right mood, but Two-Bit just didn't know how to control his excitement when he had a good card.

Some of their parents were there. Steve's father, who'd been perpetually angry ever since Steve's mom skipped town, was sitting on a lawn chair at the opposite end of the yard, somehow managing to look pissed and humorous at the same time while he conversed with Slash. Steve took after him in the temperament department, unfortunately, but no one ever told him that. It's tough luck, how kids always got the worst traits from their parents.

Two-Bit's mother was there as well. She was a pretty tuff woman. The Mathews family was a good example on how kids didn't always end up like they're parents, 'cause she was always pretty happy and cheerful, but she worked hard and never touched a drink. Penny worked and hardly drank, sure, and Two-Bit got her humor, but if he wasn't drunk by the time he got to school, he was a grumpy, slobbering idiot and he couldn't even find the motivation to pass classes let alone keep a job. Dally never knew Two-Bit's father, but he could bet he was a drunk too. Every father was a drunk in Tulsa.

She was standing next to Ellie's dad, who was flipping burgers on the grill. Dallas wasn't going to stick around long enough to eat. Without even having to make eye-contact with the Carter patriarch, Dally could tell he wasn't welcome. He didn't give a shit; this whole set-up was too middle-class suburban for him anyway. He'd probably go back to Bucks and get drunk. Maybe he's drag Two-Bit with him.

"He's talking about you." Darry informed him before taking a swig of his beer. The only redeeming quality about Ellie's dad was that he didn't give a shit if they drank. "He keeps glancing over and saying shit to Two-Bit's mom. What did you do to piss him off so much, anyway?"

Dallas shrugged. "He thinks I'm fucking his daughter, probably."

"Are you?" Darry asked with an expression of extreme exhaustion.

Dallas inwardly groaned. Of course he wasn't boning Ellie. No one, not even him, could get passed that fortified wall of chastity. Especially with daddy dearest looming over her like a bear. Anyway, Sylvia was waiting for him on his bed last night after the rodeo, and it wasn't as if he was going to say _no_, so... if there was anyone he was boning, it wasn't Princess Ellie. Whether he wanted to or not, he didn't really know... It wasn't as if he was picky. That wasn't the case at all. Hell, Ellie would have been a catch compared to half the girls he'd hooked up with over the years, but she just didn't seem... worth all the hassle. He'd have to take her to fifty dates just to hold her hand, goddamn it. So why bother when he could just settle for easy Sylvia?

"Maybe later." Dallas joked, but his friend didn't laugh along with him. Darry hardly ever laughed anymore. He'd become such a buzz kill, Dally was sort of glad he hardly went out with the boys these days. All he did was grumble and yell at Ponyboy. It wasn't his fault, really; with his parents gone, someone needed to step up. It was just too bad. Darry used to be such a riot if he was drunk enough.

Darry got up and stretched, eyeing his brothers locations habitually. "Gunna go get another beer. You want one?"

Dally shook his head and stretched his legs out in front of him. "Nah."

There was a shrill ring of the doorbell as Darry disappeared into the house in search of the fridge. Ellie got up immediately to answer it, flashing her father an odd look as she passed. She had been doing it rather frequently that evening, but Dally didn't bother wondering why. He just wanted to relax today; he didn't even feel like getting into trouble. Something in the summer air was making him calm. Maybe it was the smell of barbeque in the air, or the way everyone in the yard seemed so at peace.

Feeling as if he might fall asleep if he sat there any longer, Dallas finished off his drink and got up. He ignored Steve's wave of invitation to join their game, despite how much he kicked ass at black jack. He didn't very much feel like sitting at a table with Ellie.

The actual building of her house was kind of dingy, with peeling paint on the outside and floorboards that creaked and sagged at every step. But her furniture was brand new and it smelled like fresh apple pie inside. Ellie was going to be the perfect wife, that was for sure. He had been watching her run around all day, cooking and cleaning and socializing without one complaint. Two-Bit practically had to drag her to the patio table and leave the cooking to her grandmother. Even then, she had been running off to refill empty drinks and grab more snacks.

"-Confused! He told me he'd talk to me later, but I can't stop thinking about it!"

Her voice floated by him as he entered the main hall. Ellie and Johnny were sitting side by side on her rickety stairs, heads bent together like two gossiping hens. He must have been the one at the door.

"What-chu kids giggling about?" Dally asked, stopping to rough up Johnny's moppy hair.

Ellie shot Johnny a frantic, wide-eyed look and the young boy, after a moment of hesitation, muttered, "Nothing."

"Nothing my asshole." Dally said, pulling out the smoke he had perched behind his ear and sticking it between his lips. They were talking about a boy, he assumed. Probably that Soc football player. "You got asked on a date or something?"

Her face reddened. "No! A-and don't smoke in here! You have to go outside for that."

Dallas pulled out his cigarette and scowled. She had such a whiney voice sometimes. And she was the worst goddamn liar he'd ever met. He hated those types of people. If you were going to lie, do it well or not at all.

"Whatever." He grumbled, moving on. What did he care if she got asked on a date or not? That Soc kid, Brian or whatever, was probably just going to take her to the drive-in, find out she doesn't put out, and then ditch her. At least maybe then she'd take the hint and stop being naïve enough to think any boy wanted anything from her but sex.

He spotted Darry in the kitchen, but he didn't go in. The room was colored soft yellow, with blasts of white and black on the tiles and counter. The afternoon sun was drifting in from a huge window above a little wooden breakfast table. Ellie's father, Daniel, approached the oldest boy with a friendly, yet calculating smile. The man had this annoying, authoritative personality to him, sort of like a police man or a judge. It made Dallas feel like a bad little kid getting told off, even if he wasn't speaking.

"You look like your father." Daniel stated, passing Darry a beer.

Darry took a little sip and turned to look out the window. Parents were still a touchy subject for all the Curtis boys. "You knew him?"

Daniel nodded. "Him and your mother... and you, when you were just a baby. They got married a little over a year before I left. You must have been only a few months old. The same age as my own son."

"Yeah?"

The man made a confirmative noise in the back of his throat, absentmindedly running his finger over the lip of his beer bottle. "I spent almost two weeks trying to convince your old man to come to Chicago with me. A lot of us boys were going, but not him. I'll never know why, but he loved this city."

Daniel leaned back in his chair, finally catching Darry's attention enough for him to look over.

Darry raised an eyebrow. "Yeah?"

Dallas almost snorted from his hideout by the door... Darryl Curtis was truly a man of little words.

Ellie's father chuckled a little. "Yeah. He was adamant about raising you here, where he said it would be safer. I thought he was an idiot at the time, to be honest. We had the opportunity to become rich men in Chicago, and there's nothing in the world that's more protecting than wealth! He could have given you everything... or at least, the same as I can give Ellie."

Darry and Dallas were both confused. What was this man's motive? They couldn't tell if he was just trying to shoot the bull, reminisce about the past, or tell Darry how stupid his father had been.

Daniel didn't seem to bothered at Darry's lack of response either way. He went on with a bitter little laugh. "Turns out_ I_ was the idiot. Luck is what you need, not money. And it seems as if I've run out of luck."

The man let out a long sigh and sat up. "But enough of that. You probably already know, but I wanted to tell you how admirable your father was. A smart man, a great leader, a loyal friend, and a fucking amazing bowler, he was. And your mother... damn, no one ever messed with your mother. She told you to do something, and you did it. But she was also the kindest woman that's ever come out of this shit town. She took care of _everyone_."

There was a raw honesty in his voice that Dallas hadn't expected to hear. He must have been rather close to the couple if he really felt so strongly about them.

Darry nodded slowly. "My father never told me about... almost going to Chicago."

"No..." Daniel snorted, "You wouldn't have heard very much about me or anything that has to do with me. Lets just say, every story your father and I shared wouldn't exactly inspire a kid to stay on the right path. I was always dragging him into trouble... and he was always keeping me out of it."

"That sounds like him." Darry forced out. It was easy to tell he was having trouble keeping his emotions in check. The man was tearing the band aid off a ripe wound.

Daniel seemed to sense it. He got up and checked on the food cooking in the oven to give the boy a moment of peace. When he turned back around, Darry had his usual cold, dumb expression plastered on his face.

"Listen, Darryl." He went on more seriously. He dropped a hand on Darry's shoulder and squeezed softly. "I'm truly sorry about your loss. It's a hard thing to experience, and it's even harder when you have to take care of your brothers. I know your father would be proud, son, just to see you surviving every day."

Darry nodded again, his eyes drilling holes into the table.

"If you ever need anything..." Daniel patted his shoulder and released him. "Just let me know. I'll give you my contact infor-"

Abruptly, Darry placed his drink on the table and stood up, forcing Daniel to step back.

"Thank you sir." He said icily, "But we're not a charity-,"

Daniel laughed a little and shrugged. "No? Good. I don't give money to charity, anyway. But you need money, don't you? So I'll let you earn it. How would you like to get sixty dollars a month?"

Dally could see Darryl swallow at the sound of Daniel's words. Sixty dollars... that was more than what he made as a roofer...

The silence that had ensued between the men was cut short by Ellie's distant giggle. She and Johnny were still gossiping on the stairs, it seemed. Darry glanced towards the noise and finally spotted Dally. They look at each other only briefly, but it was all Dally needed to understand what Darry was thinking. What kind of job would hash out sixty dollars and why _him_?

"To do what?" Darry asked suspiciously, adding, "I don't have time for another job."

The older man laughed again and patted Darry roughly on the back. "Don't look so worried! It's nothing hard."

Darry picked up his beer and took a swig. "Well... what is it?"

"You boys take care of each other, don't you?" Daniel seemed to be changing the subject all together. He paced around the kitchen, his head held up thoughtfully like an enquiring lawyer. "Your father and I used to take care of each other... all us kids did... if you were from this side of the tracks, you were apart of a _family_. Some of us were more distant relatives than others, and sometimes we fought, but we were there for each other when it mattered... I wonder, is it still like that?"

The young man took his time to answer. "Sure. Sure it is.. we watch each other's backs."

Ellie's boisterous laugh cut into the moment once more and the three men paused to listen to the sound. It seemed to fit in so well in the cheerful kitchen.

"Right, like a family." Daniel nodded slowly. "You watch over each other. You keep each other safe. Just like your father and I did. Now, what I need from you, son, is to take care of my daughter like your father took care of me."

Darry squinted at the man in confusion. "You want... me to... take care of your daughter?"

"Not like you take care of your brothers." Daniel explained, "No, Ellie can provide for herself."

"Then what do you want me to do? No offence, sir, but I'm not really into stalking girls around for their fathers."

Daniel shook his head adamantly. "No, no, that's not what I want. I'm just asking you to make sure she's always safe and sound, that's all. No following, no snooping into her life. God knows she's had enough of that with her mother. Just.. imagine her as your cousin. If she needs help, help her. If she's in trouble, get her out of it." He paused, taking a resolute step towards him. "And most importantly, son... I want you to maim any boy that so much as looks at her funny, do you understand?"

Both Dallas and Darry made faces that would have been humorous if Daniel hadn't been so dead serious.

"That's it?" Darry asked, "You just want me to babysit her from afar? Isn't that a bit excessive?"

Daniel stared at him. "You've met my daughter, Darryl. I love her to death and she's a goddamn angel sent from God. But she's utterly clueless and as streetwise as a new-born puppy. Can you really blame me for worrying about her? Anyway, I'm a man with means, and if I have to pay this whole damn city to keep her safe, I will. So what do you say?"

The oldest Curtis shrugged and nodded. "I'd do a hell of a lot more for sixty bucks."

Daniel raised his beer in cheers. "Glad to hear it."

Dally wanted to laugh. That was it? Darry was getting sixty a month just to keep tabs on his neighbor and keep her out of trouble? Hell, Dally could do that! Darry was hardly ever around, anyway, and was the least close to Ellie out of all of the boys. Lucky bastard was getting sixty bucks for nothing.

Daniel patted Darry on the back once more, called him a good kid, and headed towards the door. Dally shot back before he could be seen, running down the hallway. He had planned on sitting down beside Ellie and Johnny, pretending he had been there all along, but they were gone when he got to the steps. His gaze flashed to the rest of the hallway. Maybe he could make it to the back door? No, Daniel's footsteps were getting closer and there was no time... Without a second thought, Dallas darted up the stairs as quietly as he could, which was not very quiet at all. It was only when he was tucked safely in the upstairs hallway did he realize he had actually run away from a confrontation.

"I'm a fucking chicken." He whispered to himself, running a hand through his hair. Now he was just pissed at himself. Why did he care if Daniel saw him? He wasn't doing anything wrong! It was just... it was that stupid, annoying look Ellie's father gave him. He wasn't some stupid waste of space. He wasn't, no matter what people thought of him.

Opening the first door in hopes it was a bathroom, Dallas was met with a shock of girlishness. Baby blues and creamy whites decorated a little room, eliminated by an abundance of natural light. Across a dresser, a big periwinkle bed covered in pillows and a fluffy duvet was pushed off to the side, as soft as marshmallows.

Ellie was perched atop it, her hands tangled together on her lap. Her hair was in it's naturally wavy state, tamed down by two low pigtails. Any other girl would have been worried about looking childish, but it's playfulness suited Ellie.

"Hey." Dallas said casually, trying to pretend it wasn't weird to be barging into her room without so much as a knock.

"Hey?" Ellie blinked over at him, "Are... you looking for the washroom?"

Dally waved his hand in the air non-committedly. "Nah."

Under Ellie's questioning stare, he moved further into the room to snoop around at the little cosmetic bottles and jewelry laid around her room.

"So what are you doing up here?" Ellie asked after a beat.

He picked up a tiny figurine of Snow White on Ellie's vanity. "I could ask you the same question. What kind of host mopes in her room while her guests entertain themselves?"

"I'm not _moping_." She insisted, standing up to take the figurine away from him and return it to it's designated area.

"It looked like moping when I opened the door." Dallas commented disinterestedly, moving on to other nick-knacks.

She sighed dramatically and went back to her bed, falling belly-up into the cloudy blankets. "I'm not moping!" She insisted, "I'm thinking!"

"Well," Dallas teased with a smirk, "Don't think too hard there, Princess. Wouldn't want you to hurt yourself."

Ellie propped herself up on her elbows and pouted. "Har-har-har. Why _are_ you up here anyway? Missed me in the ten minutes I've been gone?"

"You goddamn wish." Dallas grumbled, rolling a diamond ring in between his fingers. It was real, and he was seriously contemplating lifting it. "I was just... trying to get away from the crowd for a second."

"You're so anti-social." Ellie stated, curling into her covers.

"Says the girl who left her party to be alone in her room."

She giggled lazily. "Touché."

_Fuck it_, Dallas thought, slipping the ring onto his pinky. She wouldn't miss it, anyway.

Dallas moved to leave. It was never a good idea to linger at the scene of the crime. He'd grab another beer, say goodbye to all the boys, and make a quick but unsuspicious get-away.

"Wait!" Ellie called as he got to the door. She sat up and eyed him shyly, eyes darting from him to her hands. "Wait... can I ask you a question?"

Dallas rolled his eyes and groaned. "What? And stop lookin' at me like that, idiot."

She pouted.

"And not like that either." He added, dipping his hand into his back pocket and twisting the ring off so that it sat inside and out of sight. "What do you want?"

"It's kind of a personal question." She told him as he collapsed beside her on the bed, closing his eyes. The fluffiness of the covers didn't disappoint.

"Just ask and I'll see if I feel like answering it."

She took so long to spit it out that by the time she did, he was already half gone.

"What was your father like?" She asked nervously. "Did you know him very well?"

"He was a piece of shit." Dallas answered immediately and without doubt. Now he _really_ wanted a cigarette. "Why ya' ask?"

"I was just thinking about my own dad." Ellie explained from beside him. Her voice was closer and softer than he imagined it would be. She was usually talking in such a shrill, up-beat voice... it was sort of spooky to hear her so mellow.

"What about him? He seems alright. Like every other middle-class father."

There was a rustling of fabric as she dragged a pillow over and tenderly lifted his head so she could shimmy it underneath.

"What are you doing?" Dallas wondered, cracking a single eye open.

She licked her lips apprehensively and he couldn't help but notice a faint freckle dotting just above the corner on her upper lip. He always wondered how girls could keep their lips so smooth and soft while his was perpetually rough.

"You look tired all the time." She told him, "I thought you could use a nap."

Dallas shook his head but didn't make any attempt to get up. "Nah. I'm fine. Buck had a party last night and it was too noisy, that's all."

He shut his eyes again, telling himself that he'd only stay for a couple more minutes. Her bed was fucking soft and her room was so.. pristine... if he concentrated, he could pretend he was high above in the sky, lounging on a cloud. He was so relaxed, in fact, that Ellie's light brushing of his hair hardly registered in his mind. Hardly.

"What are you doing now, you idiot?" He made to sigh with annoyance, but it came out as a pleasurable groan. Her hand was so cool on his forehead, and her fingers running across his scalp was relieving a headache he hadn't even noticed he had.

"Nothing." Ellie vowed innocently, "Your hair's just so pretty. I couldn't help myself."

"S'not pretty." Dallas tried to argue without an ounce of passion. "S'manly."

"Okay." Ellie allowed, "Go to sleep."

"Hm." Dally wavered for a moment. "Why where you thinking about your father?"

"No reason." He could hear her change positions so that she had her head propped up with one arm and the other playing with his locks. "No reason..."

"Fuckin' awful." He muttered languidly, "Fuckin' awful liar. How does anyone even fuckin' lie so badly?"

"Fine." Ellie grumbled, running a digit over the tip of his ear. Dallas hissed at the thrill erupting in the pit of his stomach. That stupid girl... if she continued like that, he wouldn't know whether to fall asleep or... do other things. Why was he always finding himself in these kinds of situations with her, anyway? Why couldn't they just leave each other alone? She wasn't anyone to him; it should be easier for them to live their separate lives. _Sylvia_ was supposed to be the girl letting him sleep on her bed while she caressed his most sensitive spots. Yet he knew it would be different with the other girl. With Ellie, it was soft and easy. Her touches could mean everything or nothing at all. She had no request or demand... it was simply a moment of affection between them. Completely unexpected and -if he hadn't been so lethargic and comfy- unsought, but also oddly comforting and... electric. With Sylvia, however, he couldn't picture a moment like this. They fooled around, they fucked, fought, and went their separate ways for a while. There was no sentiment to it. If she disappeared and never came back tomorrow, would he care? Maybe not. People like her went in and out of his life like leaves in the wind.

"I guess I'm kind of scared about my dad right now." Ellie admitted, retreating from his ear so she could smooth all his hair away from his forehead. "There's a lot he's been keeping from me and I don't know if I even really want to find out what those things are."

"You'll be fine." Dallas told her distractedly, fighting off the instinct to throw his arm around her waist and just give in to the preening that was sending him to sleep. "Girls like you will always be fine."

He must have said the right words, because her mood lifted significantly afterwards.

"Thanks Dallas." She giggled, scratching his scalp with more energy. "I think I ought to get back to the party now. God knows the pie is burnt. You can stay up here and sleep for as long as you like."

Dallas wanted to tell her to shut up and lie back down. The moment her touch left him, he felt as if the whole appeal of a nap had died.

"Fuck the stupid party." He growled, forcing himself to sit up. He hadn't noticed it before, but the room was getting uncomfortably hot and the only thing keeping him complacent was Ellie's cold palm.

"You really are so anti-social." Ellie smiled, reaching up one last time so that she could place his hair back to the state she had found it in.

When she moved to get up, Dallas surprised both of them by grabbing her wrist. It was so thin and delicate, he noticed. He could snap it with very little effort. He'd have to remember to watch his strength around her.

"Ellie." He croaked pathetically.

She looked at him, confused.

"Ellie..." He tried again, "Get me a beer from downstairs, will you?"

Her laugh started out as a chuckle and escalated into howling in a matter of seconds.

"Yes, okay." She nibbled on her lip to keep her mirth in check. "Okay."

Dallas let her pull her hand away and stared inquisitively when she willingly moved it to the side of his neck. Then, as if she was scared he'd shrug her off if she wasn't quick enough, she dropped a chaste kiss on the skin under his eye and scampered out of the room like a mischievous fox running off with it's prize.

_Fuck._

How fucking _dare_ she? Did she even know what she was doing? That little bitch probably thought she was being friendly. Yeah, okay, it was just a kiss on the cheek, but a kiss was a kiss and if she was going to kiss him then she better be willing to go further because... because _fuck_ that! Dallas Winston was not someone you could just casually kiss! He didn't play around with girls! He met them, screwed them, and then contemplated screwing them in the future! She needed to be all in or not at all, goddamn it!

She wasn't worth the hassle, he tried to remind himself. So why was he sitting there, hungering for her to come back so he could finish what she had unintentionally started?

He was not getting any motherfucking sleep tonight. And it was all that damn Soc's fault.

* * *

Ellie tried to keep her mind on the task of cleaning up as the little barbecue wrapped up. The house wasn't very dirty, but there was plastic plates and beer bottles littering her backyard, living room, and kitchen. Despite the smell of yeast stinking up her house, she didn't regret having everyone over. It was pleasant to meet Two-Bit's mother, who had ooh-ed and awe-ed at her every word. And seeing the boys and her father get along so well was heartening. Nothing would be worse than letting her family think she was being reckless and immature, forcing them to spend their days worrying over their daughter. She was fine, and now that her father knew that, he would be able to concentrate on his business troubles.

"This place is a pigs sty." Her grandmother complained from her station at the sink. Ellie was grateful she was helping, but she was doing such a sloppy job of washing dishes that Ellie knew she'd just have to redo them tomorrow.

"I'm sorry grandma," Ellie said with as much sympathy as she could muster. "You can just head up to bed now, if you like."

She had never seen the old woman head out of a room so fast. "I oughta!" The old lady huffed as she disappeared down the hall. "Been slaving away all day for people I don't even know! Strangers! And boring ones at that!"

Just as Ellie moved to finish up the dishes, her father came in with a few beer bottles in his arms,

"Just leave the rest for tomorrow, darling." He insisted, easing his load onto the table. "It's getting late."

Ellie wrung her hands on a dish rag, trying to decipher whether she was mad at him or simply worried to death. Picking at a loose thread, she said, "So, are you going to tell me why you brought a bag of guns to visit your daughter?"

Her father sighed. It was so late in the night, nearly twelve, and they were both delirious with fatigue. Nonetheless, she knew she would take hours to fall asleep without knowing the truth, good or -more likely- bad.

"Are you some kind of hired assassin?" She asked, only half joking. She couldn't really be sure about anything anymore. He could be a Nazi, for all she knew.

Daniel snorted dryly. "No. You always did have such an active imagination."

"Daddy." Ellie persisted, twisting the rag in her hands so roughly she swore she was getting calluses. "What are the guns for?"

The man shook his head and approached his daughter. For a brief second, she almost flinched away. But no. Just because he had been harboring secrets didn't mean he was a totally different person. He was still her loving, protective father. He was still the man that had taught her how to ride a bike and kissed her scrapes when she fell.

"The guns are for killing, Ellie darling." He told her gently, "That's what all guns are for."

She was so _confused_. Was he a murderer, then?

Without warning, a steely expression overcame his face. Gripping her face in his hands, he bound her gaze to his.

"Ellie, think." He insisted, using a tone of voice she had only ever heard him use on her brother. "You know what I do. You know what the family business is. We're in sales, yes. But what kind of sales? Think. Why do we have a stone wall a foot thick around our home? Why do we have guard dogs? Where do you think your brother and I go all the time? Why do you think we have so many lawyers? Why do you think you keep finding drugs stashed around the house? Why do you think I sent you and your mother away? Think, darling. Open your eyes and use your head."

Ellie swallowed, frozen under his intensity. What did he want from her? "I don't know! I don't know!"

"Think! Use your head!" he repeated more vigorously. "Why were you not allowed to go out alone? Why did we have so many get-togethers? Who were all those strange people coming in and out of the house?"

"I think-!" Ellie tore herself away, falling backwards onto the counter. "I don't know! Daddy, you're scaring me!"

Daniel closed his eyes and collapsed onto a chair beside the table, burying his face in his hands.

"My beautiful, ignorant baby girl." He barked, "Your father's been running a drug-ring since before you were born."

Ellie, cowering by stove, watched her father as her heartbeat began to slow again. "Really? Really, dad?"

"Yes, darling." He stated painfully, exposing his face again. "But not for very longer. You see, your father and brother are about a step away from being charged with possession, distribution of drugs, and, if they get a hold of these guns, murder."

* * *

**I am really really really really really really really sorry for being a week late. Seriously. You guys are reviewing so well and I'm getting so many favs and follows, and I'm a piece of shit for not updating, because you all deserve it. But the truth is, I'm fucking swamped. I have school, I have exams, I have work... there is no way i'll be able to write any more chapters in a week. So, as much as it breaks my heart that i can't just pump these chaps out and spend all my time writing, I'm going to have to cut down the chapter producing by... ugh okay its three am here I have no idea what i'm on about I just wrote this whole damn chapter so basically i'm telling you please be patient with me because I have to fucking sleep in order to function.**

**Basically I'm telling you that i'll post my next chap as soon as I can but it's not going to be by next week, and i'm sorry, but have mercy. I'm trying. **

**Also I apologize for this shit-show of a chapter I'm not actually sure what I wrote so good luck and goodnight and yeah.**

**review and shit please**

**love you guys so much. Don't leave me. Don't leave Ellie. ;(**


	11. Teenage Girl

11.

In the morning, Ellie found herself curled up on a porch swing, sipping on a mug of coffee. Lady was sprawled out over her lap, asleep and acting as a blanket against the light morning chill. Lord was somewhere in the backyard, most likely scarfing down his breakfast.

Ellie stroked Lady's snowy fur absentmindedly, staring down the rows of houses that made up the street without actually seeing. There was so much clogging up her head… she felt as if she had spent all night studying for a test and was now too chalk full of information that there was no room for any other thoughts, and what she did know seemed to be nothing but words.

Last night both her and her father didn't have any more energy to continue the conversation. Daniel had been exhausted by her idiocy, it seemed. But how it was her fault? Out of all things… _all things_ a girl would think her father was, he had to be a… a drug dealer? Maybe Ellie could have pieced it together if he was having an affair, or had some sort of secret gun hobby, but a criminal was something she would have never pictured Daniel Carter, the most straight-edge and no-nonsense man in her life to be. This was the same father that had made her check both ways before crossing the street! This was the father that yelled if his kids didn't wear helmets. This was the same father that wouldn't let her watch movies with sexual scenes, that took them to church every Sunday, that had a whole wardrobe of ugly button-up sweaters!

Always on schedule, Ellie watched Steve pull into the Curtis' driveway. He drove a grey truck, nothing special, but it ran well and the trunk was filled to the brim with car-parts. A few minutes later, Soda came stumbling out -his shirt only half-on- to disappear into the passenger seat. They waved to her as they drove by and Ellie mustered up the energy to lift her own hand in greeting. Usually a smile would have accompanied it, but today she was far from that mood.

"They're nice boys." Her father commented, stepping onto the porch just as the rumble of Steve's engine faded away. He had a glass of water in one hand and a cigarette in the other.

Ellie grunted a little, petting Lady's fur a little more purposely. But when he came to sit down beside her, Lady jumped down and headed for a sunny spot on the lawn, abandoning her owner.

Daniel patted his daughter's kneecap. "Darling, we need to talk."

She couldn't look at him. She was so... she wasn't even sure how she felt! Mad? Sad? She understood, in a way, that he had kept this secret to protect her and give her the option of a normal life. And she knew he had no real obligation to tell her at all; his life was his life, not hers. She was just his daughter, he didn't owe her any explanations. Yet she didn't want to give him any excuses!

"I know you must be very confused and-"

Ellie interrupted him with a load groan, burying her face in her hands.

"Gosh!" She cried, "Just... I don't want to talk about how I feel. I just want you to tell me why all of this is happening."

Daniel nodded solemnly, got up to give her space, and began strolling up and down the front porch. "As I'm sure you've seen, Tulsa is a place where tight-knit groups of friends are essential to survival. Most gangs are just that- friends that watch each other's backs. Others were more into getting into trouble together... like my gang, for instance. We were called the Bobcats, but everyone called us the Carter Crew."

Her father paused a few steps away to laugh at his own memories. "I never asked to lead them, nor did I _want to_ for the longest period of time. But they were all so useless without any leadership. I wasn't even a very good fighter... but I was smart and ambitious, and they respected that."

A spring breeze whisked by and Ellie pulled her sweater tighter across her chest. "Then?"

"Then..." Daniel sighed and leaned against the railing, crushing his bud against a pillar before flicking it down into the grass behind him. "Then I managed to gain some connections... all over America, even in Mexico and Canada... but especially Chicago. There was this man in the city, and at the time he was only just up-and-coming. But he was looking for recruits. Strong, able kids to do his dirty work. How could I pass it up? Well, I couldn't and neither could a lot of the kids in my gang. The rest... the rest is history."

"And now?" Ellie prompted, "And now you sell drugs for him?"

"I organize and control a group of men who sell drugs for him." Daniel explained, "And I have other jobs, when the opportunity arises."

Ellie nodded, unsure of what to say. She believed his story, and understood that he did what he did and it that the past could not be altered. Yet, maybe it was because she had never been at the bottom of the class system, but she couldn't justify the path he had chosen. If he was really smart, then he should have used his intelligence to go to school so he could support his family properly. So perhaps she was mad at him. She was mad because he could have been better than all of it, yet there they were with a duffle bag of guns in the back room.

"I'm going out." Ellie stated, pushing herself up from her seat. She was dressed rather sloppily in a plain white skirt and a green, outdated sweater, her uncombed hair flowing freely past her shoulders. But she would have felt in pajamas if she had to.

"Fine." Her father allowed, much to her surprise. "Where are you going?"

"The Dingo, probably." Ellie told him as she slipped on a pair of flats she had left on the porch the other week.

He nodded and allowed her to pass him. "Don't come home late."

She had heard that phrase so many times in Chicago, whether it was directed at her or her brother, but it sounded so out of place at her house in Tulsa. She hadn't been told what to do in a long time, she realized.

Ellie opted out of taking the car. She hated driving it sometimes; it was always causing such a scene with its horrible grinding and squealing. Besides, the weather was more windy than hot that day, and it was a welcome change that she felt like enjoying while it lasted.

She had just reached her ninth block when a shiny grey mustang glided to a stop beside her. In the bright sun, she couldn't see how many of them were in the car, but the driver -a man- was trying to speak to her. None of it sunk in; she had been told what Soc boys did to lone girls in Greaser territory. Frozen still, she weighed out her options. It was another ten minute walk to get home, and the same amount of distance to get to The Dingo. She could make a run for it to the diner... as soon as it was in view she'd be home safe. Yet the terrifying scenario of getting caught before making it anywhere kept her unmoving. Maybe she could just reason with them? Maybe they would see how small and terrified she was, and take pity. Maybe they'd see she wasn't a real Greaser and leave?

One of them stepped out, his voice becoming louder. Ellie stumbled back, heart pounding. How many times had she been told not to walk around alone? She should have brought her dogs, or called Ponyboy to go with her! This was all her fault! Everyone was right, she was so naïve!

"Ellie-!"

Ellie nearly collapsed out of relief as the silhouette stepped out of the glaring sun.

It was only Ben.

"I thought..." She sighed, closing her eyes and putting a hand over her heart, "I thought you were going to jump me or something."

He straightened out his blue polo and laughed lightly. "Why would I do that?"

Ellie shrugged. "Well, I didn't know it was _you._ I thought you were someone scary."

Ben stepped closer, squinting his eyes and puffing out his chest dramatically. "You saying I'm not scary?"

"Well, not when you do that." Ellie giggled, pushing him away. "What are you doing here?"

He shrugged, staring down the road. "Was going to pick up my sister at the DX. She's always over there with her friends, flocking over some drop-out from our school. I hear he's fairly nice, and good with cars, but still, he better keep his hands off my baby sis, you know?"

"You remind me of my own brother." Ellie told him.

Ben groaned and ran his hand through his shiny golden hair, "That's not what I was going for."

"Well, take it as a complement, anyway. I think it's very endearing for a man to pay close attention to his family." She explained, smiling as he flushed and folded his arms across his chest shyly. He was a gentle giant, to be sure. A handsome one, at that. _He'd be a good father_, Ellie thought to herself_, and an attentive husband._

In the back of her head, she could hear her mother screaming, '_Catch him! Catch him! He's the one!'_

"I was wondering- that's why I stopped..." He gestured hurriedly to his car, stumbling under her complement. It was adorable, how nervous he got around her. "I was wondering if you needed a ride somewhere?"

Ellie thought of pulling into The Dingo in Ben's shiny new mustang. She could already feel the Greaser's heated stares burning off the baby hairs on her neck.

"Oh, that's okay." She said, "It's only a block away, now. Plus, I like walking. It keeps me fit."

Ben gave her a deflated nod. Smiling awkwardly, he shuffled back to his car.

"Wait!" Ellie called, letting out her own blush as he turned back hopefully. "I mean, maybe next time? And... I'll... I'll see you at school on Monday, right?"

"Right." Ben chuckled, hair dishevelling in the wind. This time, when he smiled she noticed a dimple denting on his left cheek. "Well, actually, do you want to go for lunch tomorrow? I mean, a few other kids will be there too... I was just wondering if you'd like to come with us?"

"Yes!" Ellie nearly screamed, "Sure. Yes, sure I'll go."

Ben nodded just as enthusiastically. "Cool! Um, you sure you don't want a ride?"

Unable to trust herself with any more words, Ellie just nodded and waved him off. As he turned the corner, she searched for something to beat her own head in with. She was_ so_ embarrassing. She had acted so desperately she might as well have jumped on him. Though, really she had been more excited at the mention of his friends. It was like hitting two birds with one stone. She could go on a chaperoned semi-date with Ben, and hopefully gain some friends in the process. This was just the opportunity she had been looking for!

At The Dingo, Ellie dropped herself into a booth beside Johnny. He was sipping on a coke while Two-Bit and Dallas were half-talking, half-arguing, as they often did.

"I was hoping to catch you guys here." Ellie waved down a waitress, "Though I'm surprised you're actually awake, Two-Bit."

Two-Bit pretended to check his imaginary watch. "Golly, you're right, Princess! It's way past my bedtime! It's just, I didn't have time to sleep last night, with Kathy keeping me up..." He winked exaggeratedly. "If you know what I mean?"

"Gross!" Ellie cried, screwing up her eyes and making a face. Two-Bit's hyena laughter bounced off the diner walls.

When she opened them again, Dallas was staring at her. It wasn't a very purposeful look; only curiosity and perhaps, humor, danced in his sea-coloured eyes. Casually tapping his cigarette on the side of an ashtray, he didn't seem at all ashamed of being caught.

She blushed violently.

Ellie knew exactly what Dallas was thinking about. And _he_ knew she knew, judging by the smirk that erupted onto his face. He could barely finish wiggling his eyebrows at her before bursting into chuckles. After a beat of mortified embarrassment, she began to laugh along with him.

"Uh?" Johnny quickly brought them back to the present. The two other boys were between them, astonishment written on their faces.

"What just happened here?" Two-Bit pointed his finger at them, "What is this? Huh? What's this little moment thing you guys just had?"

Dallas shrugged and went back to his chain smoking.

Ellie turned to Johnny, "Have you finished your biology homework?"

Johnny, who had been just as mystified as Two-Bit, gave Ellie and Dallas one last, searching look before dropping the subject. He was smart like that; he knew when to push and when to let things go.

"Most of it. I forgot my textbook in my locker, so I can't do questions ten to twelve."

"No, no, no." Two-Bit interrupted again. "No way do we just pretend this didn't happen."

"What happened?" Ellie asked innocently, signaling for a waitress. A young woman of about twenty, her belly swollen and straining her uniform buttons, took Ellie's order without a word.

"This-"

"What's everyone up to tonight?" Dallas asked, ignoring Two-Bit. "I heard there's going to be some drag racing on that long road by the Texaco."

"Steve's going, and Soda too, if Darry will let him." Johnny said, fiddling with the edge of his white shirt, stained with grass and what was either dirt or blood. "Pony's not allowed, obviously. Maybe I'll swing by his house to keep him company for a while."

"I'll be with Kathy." Two-Bit grumbled, slightly peeved. "Gotta get it in as much as I can while she's still happy to see my face."

Ellie sighed. "Please, Keith Mathews. I am a _lady_, you know."

"Is he offending you, kiddo?" Sylvia's silky smooth voice penetrated the hustle-and-bustle diner noise. Her flaming hair was teased up in a high ponytail, standing out atop her black attire. She looked sharp, as usual.

Ellie gave Two-Bit a little wink. "He's always offending me. And since when did I become 'kiddo' to you? We're the same age!"

The girl grinned her Cheshire cat smile and dropped herself onto Dally's lap, throwing an arm around his neck for good measure.

"I don't know." She drawled, "It just suits you."

Feeling her mouth dry up, Ellie couldn't tear herself away from the scene unfolding in front of her. The way Dallas' forearm wrapped around Sylvia's long thighs, keeping them in place. The way she brushed her hand through his hair fondly, that thick silver ring disappearing briefly in the strands before appearing again. How they smiled subtly at each other before locking lips... all of it ate at Ellie's insides.

It had been_ her_, less than a day ago, brushing Dally's hair. She could remember her heart stuttering in her chest as they sprawled out on her bed, and how much it took out of her, just to find the courage to touch him.

"I've been asked out on a date!" Ellie blurted out, realizing too late that, while she had been gazing off into space, the conversation had gone on without her. She coughed uncomfortable and added, "Before I forget to tell you guys."

They stopped to stare at her for a moment, shocked by both her outburst and her news. In fact, she had said it so loudly that half the diner was staring as well.

"By who?" Sylvia squealed abruptly, reaching over the table to grab her friend's hands. "Is he cute?"

"Is it that 'Bart' guy?" Two-Bit yawned, dragging over the chocolate milkshake the waitress had dropped in front of Ellie.

She let him take a long sip before snatching it back. "Ben, Keith. His name is Ben. And yes, actually. We're going for lunch."

"O-o-o-o-oh!" He whistled, "Where? When? What time?"

Ellie opened her mouth to respond, but Sylvia cut her short with a little elbow nudge. "Don't tell him. He's only asking 'cause he wants to go and bother you two."

Exhausted, Ellie plunked her head onto the table, nearly spilling her drink. "I always meet up with you guys so I can relax and have fun, but then I get here and remember that the only thing I'll ever get is teasing and the occasional hangover."

"Well..." Two-Bit chewed on the inside of his cheek thoughtfully, "To be fair, we only got you drunk once... but you know-"

Sylvia caught the groups attention with a wave of her hand and a delicate cough. "Okay, I'm going to stop this playful banter before it gets boring for the rest of us, okay? Now, moving back to the main topic... _who_ is Ben?"

"Well," Ellie propping her chin on her hand as the other girl leaned forward with curiosity. "I met him in the library-"

"Just before he tried bashing Pony's brains in." Dallas supplied, claiming a sip of her milkshake as Two-Bit had.

Ellie flashed him a scowl. "He did not. We were fooling around and Ben thought Pony was hurting me-"

"Wait!" Sylvia shrieked, much to her annoyance. How was she going to tell the story if she kept getting interrupted? "You hooked up with Ponyboy Curtis? I never knew he had it in him."

"No. It's not like that. We were just making jokes and Pony punched me in the arm- lightly! It didn't even hurt. Ben saw, thought Pony was my crazy violent boyfriend, or something, and interfered. But nobody got hurt, and everything was explained."

"And then you spent the next period making googly eyes at the back of his head." Johnny mumbled to Ellie quietly.

She bumped her shoulder against his, smiling timidly. Sylvia, who was shocked to hear Johnny even speaking, much less to a girl, leaned forward again. "Wait, what was that? What did you say?"

Dallas slid the half empty milkshake back at Ellie and lit another smoke. "So where's he taking you, the Opera?"

She tried to tell herself she wasn't disappointed at his lack of... interest. But why did she care, anyway? She had Ben; kind, sweet, handsome Ben who fit into all her ideals. So why was she even thinking about Dallas Winston? He was handsome, sure, but even if he could, he wouldn't marry her, or be a father to her children, or even take care of her. He could give her nothing. Yet...

"To lunch, at a diner probably." She didn't want to tell them that there would be other Socs there as well. Though she thought giving a group would make things more comfortable, she didn't want them to think it was just her trying to get with the Soc crowd. "I don't know what to wear."

Sylvia jumped up from her seat on Dally's lap, pressing her palms against the table. "Okay, this is where I come in. Get up. We're going shopping."

Ellie thought about the offer for a good long second. She knew she had been warned about Sylvia and her scheming ways, but someone wise once said 'Keep your friends close and your enemies closer.', and she _really_ needed a girl friend to talk to...

"Sure." Dropping a few dollars onto the table for the milkshake Two-Bit was currently finishing off, Ellie shuffled out of her seat.

Johnny grabbed her shoulder just as she was about to stand. "Hey, Ellie?"

She nodded for him to continue.

Leaning in, he asked softly, "Is everything with your dad alright now?"

Ellie's eyes darted around the booth nervously. Everyone seemed to be looking at them, straining to hear what Johnny was whispering so carefully into her ear. The last thing she needed was all her family's skeletons aired out in front of the whole gang. Last night, she had felt confused and isolated. She had to vent to somebody, and she knew Johnny would be the most discreet, not to mention caring. She hadn't told him about the guns, but she had said that her father had been hiding things from her.

"I don't know, Johnny. Actually, I think things got even worse. I'll tell you about it later?"

Johnny nodded, cast her what was supposed to be an encouraging smile, and then went back to reading the ingredients list on the ketchup bottle.

They drove to a tiny mall just past the railroad tracks. Walking in, Ellie was greeted with a decently sized crowd of shoppers. The building itself was old but clean, comprised of two big halls connected on each end by a smaller corridor. Above them, the ceiling curved into a glass oval dome, like the top of a greenhouse. Most of the stores catered to an older crowd, or sold specialty items like books or food. Only around four stores sold more up-to-date clothing, though it was nothing _Ellie_ would ever wear. They were right up Sylvia's alley, however.

"I don't like going to the bigger malls." Sylvia explained as they stepped into their first store. There wasn't any brand name articles, but the clothes were interesting in a good way. The big sign in the front said _Runaways; _the style was a mix of hippie and rockabilly. "Too full of Socs. I don't really care about the girls, but those boys drive me nuts. At least here they don't think they're entitled to you. Well, not as much."

"Oh..." Ellie answered, running her hand across the rack of dresses much too short for her taste.

"But I'm sure Ben isn't like that." Sylvia back-tracked, leading them to the mini-skirt section. Without very much examination, she began taking some off the circular rack and passing them to Ellie. "What's he look like?"

"Well, he's big... a football player. And he's got blonde hair, and a really nice smile. He's kind of shy, but it's cute, you know?" She said over the growing pile of fabric in her arms.

Sylvia giggled. "Sounds hot."

Turning red from head to toe, Ellie buried her face in the mountain of skirts. "He so is."

"Not really into shy boys, though." Sylvia commented offhandedly, "Though I think he'd be perfect for you. I can already imagine all the awkward, slow sex you guys will have."

"Sylvia!" Ellie hissed, following her towards blouses and sweaters. "I am not going to have... _relations_ with him!"

She paused mid-step and turned back around so that they were face to face. Pinching Ellie's cheeks, she told her earnestly, "Oh my God, you are _so_ cute, kiddo. I can't even handle how adorably fresh you are."

"Cute? I am not cute. I am a ferocious, independent woman that... that knows stuff!"

Sylvia flashed her a look, going back to her usual method of flinging clothing into Ellie's arms. Next came the dresses, and then the pants and lastly, heals. By the end of their haul, both girls were carrying at least thirty articles each.

"Did you just grab anything you could touch?" Ellie asked as they shuffled carefully towards the change rooms. Neither had the hands to grab anything that fell. "You know, half of these clothes I wouldn't even be able to show my father."

"That's the fun of it." She explained, "Now strip, darling. Try that green dress. I love the color."

Ellie went through a series of outfits. She could hardly bend down without revealing her underwear in almost all of them. And the tops were distastefully low, showing parts of her skin that had never even seen the sun. Only one dress, periwinkle, full skirted, decently V-necked, and with little white bows on each shoulder took Ellie's interest, though Sylvia found it atrocious.

"It'll make you look like a little girl, with that color and those bows. And don't you want to show off a little more leg?"

Ellie pouted, standing there in a black pencil skirt and her bra. "No, I don't. And I think it's pretty and bright."

Sylvia collapsed onto the little bench installed in the corner of the cubicle. "You're killing me here! Do you want to look sexy and beautiful or do you want to look pretty and bright and like you're at risk of being kidnapped by some stranger who says he has candy in his van?"

"Fine then!" Ellie threw her hands up exasperatedly. "Pick something and I'll buy the stupid thing. But there's no guarantee that I'll wear it to my date, or even outside my bedroom."

Sylvia jumped up again, squealing. "Yes, yes, yes! Okay, grab those pants over there. The red capris with the white stripes going down the sides."

"Pants? Sylvia, my parents would have a conniption. It shows everything!"

"No it doesn't!" Sylvia defended, rummaging through the pile of shirts to find something that would match. "You just need to get used to them. All girls are wearing pants these days, anyway. You can't avoid them for forever."

"Oh gosh, I look like I want to be a man."

Sylvia spun around, three blouses in hand, and gasped at the sight of Ellie in fitted capris. "I knew you were hiding a nice ass!"

"I look trashy." Ellie complained, "How do you even walk around in these? I can hardly take a step without them straining!"

The other girl was too ecstatic to listen. Clapping her hands together, she sighed, "You look so sexy, darling. I'm going to get you bonked for sure."

"I don't want to be bonked." She grumbled, staring at her reflection in the mirror. She supposed they didn't look so bad, but they just weren't... her.

"But you will." Sylvia explained placing a thin blouse over her chest to see how it would look. "Maybe not now, but after a while, kissing won't be enough and you'll want to give in."

"And what if that doesn't happen?"

With casual fluidity, the red-head took off her sweater and tried the article on. Then another, and another, without taking the last one off. Ellie eyed her with confusion.

"Then you don't really like him, do you?" She shrugged, "Now, take off those pants and give them to me."

Ellie gladly stripped; the tightness was making her feel claustrophobic.

"What are you doing?" She asked, watching Sylvia put on the capris underneath her full length pants. "Are you cold?"

Sylvia began to giggle, nearly tripping in a pair of shorts. "Are you serious? You are like a three year old, I swear to fucking God. Start putting on those skirts."

"_Why?_"

"Because we're smuggling them out."

By the time she was done, she had three pairs of bottoms on and at least four tops. With her old clothes covering them, she looked chunkier and uncomfortable, but unsuspicious.

"Wait, stealing?" Ellie whispered feverously, "I'm not doing that!"

Sylvia rolled her eyes. "You're so boring. Just do it."

"I don't want to!" Ellie pushed away the skirt Sylvia tried to hand to her. "We'll get caught and arrested! Or worse, they'll call our parents!"

"Put the fucking skirt on." The girl insisted, ignoring Ellie's resistance as she flung the skirt roughly into her face.

"Fine!" Ellie nearly shouted, outraged at being treated so disrespectfully. Who did Sylvia think she was, demanding things from her? Only a few weeks ago, she could have been described as bold and witty. Now she was simply rude and bossy. Perhaps that's why all her friends seemed to be distant and weary of her; it didn't take much to be exhausted by Sylvia's relentless pushing. Yet there was this undeniable allure about her… she looked treacherous, cruel, and unpredictable, but she also promised adventure and oddly enough, a sense of power. After all, Sylvia was nothing if not ambitious.

Boiling quietly in the corner of the stall, Ellie pulled on two skirts and five blouses before putting on her regular outfit.

As Sylvia approached to adjust her sweater, she let out another laugh. "Don't be so moody. It's for your own good."

Ellie gave her a half-hearted glare. "How could this possibly be good for me? I'm going to have a record."

"Not if you don't get caught." She shot back and, without another word, she flicked open the lock and opened the door.

"Sylvia…" Ellie hesitated. The only employees she could see were two women chatting behind the counter, oblivious to the line of customers waiting at the register. She swallowed nervously, "Sylvia, I _can't_."

Shrugging her shoulders, Sylvia linked arms with Ellie and began dragging her towards the door. "See, now it's too late. All you can do is keep walking."

She had to retrain herself from running. Out of all the things she had ever done, this was surely the worst. What would her parents think? Someone had worked hard to build up this store to the state it was today, and their customers were rewarding them by stealing all their clothes! It wasn't as if she didn't have money, either. The clothes were dirt cheap and just as cheaply made; Ellie could buy half the store, if she wanted. So _why_ was she letting Sylvia do this to her? When had she lost the ability to say no? She didn't want to do it. She didn't want to become that kind of person. She was perfectly fine with being normal, nice, Soc Ellie as long as she didn't have to do anything criminalizing!

She hadn't realized she had screwed her eyes shut until bright red bloomed under her eyelids, eliminated by the noon sun.

"We're safe and sound." Sylvia led them back to her car. "Man, you sucked at that."

With shaking hands, Ellie peeled off the layers of skirt strangling her waist as soon as they were seated and out of sight. "Sorry I'm not very well versed in _stealing_!"

Sylvia shimmied out of her own loot, a gleeful smirk displayed on her face. There was no shame or discomfort over what she had just done. Without a word, she stuck the key in ignition and zoomed out of the parking lot with the grace of a drunken cheetah. Ellie scrambled to put on her seatbelt, already feeling nauseous.

"I'm never doing that again." She went on with passion, "We ought to go back and return everything-"

"Really Ellie," Sylvia interrupted, tapping rhythmically on the steering wheel. "It's not so bad, okay? Everyone does it, so just shut up."

"That's not true. None of my friends in Chicago stole, and I don't think Ben or many of the Socs do either."

"Yeah, because they're loaded. They don't need to steal."

Ellie supposed there was a grain of truth in that. But still, stealing hurt businesses, which in turn hurt people. She didn't care about all the drinking and swearing and general toughness when it came to Greaser life, but she wouldn't tolerate hurting people. It didn't matter if you were rich or poor; it still didn't make it right…. Right?

They let silence hang in the air as a Presley song crackled on the radio. Sylvia seemed to have drifted off into another world in a matter of seconds, and Ellie discreetly watched her as she drove. She was such an enviously beautiful girl. Like Soda, she looked as if she belonged on a Hollywood billboard. She would have looked even more beautiful if she took off the gunk of her face, but then she wouldn't very much like Sylvia.

Ellie brought her knees up to her chest and wrapped her arms around them for security. "How do you know if…"

Sylvia tilted her head to show she was listening. "What?"

"How do you know if you want to get bonked?"

She laughed. "I don't know. You get horny."

Ellie could feel the heat rise in her face. "No, I mean… never mind."

Sylvia glided past The Dingo. Ellie tried to see if the boys were still there, but she was too far away to make them out in the big crowd.

"Listen, Princess... if it feels right, then do it. If you have doubts, then don't."

She scrolled down the window to cool her face. "I could have used that advice before you dragged me out of that store with three outfits worth of stolen goods."

"It only works on boys. If you're referring to lifting shit, then I say, just do it and don't look back."

Ellie rested her head on the window opening and sighed. "I can't believe you made me do that."

"I've never made anyone do anything they didn't want to do." Sylvia stated, wagging her finger in the air. "So don't you even go blaming me for your weakness to peer-pressure."

Ellie paused again and then asked, "What does it feel like?"

"Specifics ple-"

"Oh gosh," She buried her face in her hands and then practically shrieked, "Sex! I'm asking you what sex feels like!"

Sylvia looked a little disgruntled. "Hey, calm down, prude…. Why are you asking?"

"So I'm prepared… for the future…. The distant future."

"Sure…" She didn't look like she was very convinced. "Well, I guess it's kind of…nice."

That's not what Ellie wanted to hear. She wanted details; not anything graphic, but she just wanted to know what it felt like. Not bodily, but emotionally. How was she to know when she was ready? Would her partner know to be gentle? Did she want it slow and soft, or just get it over with? Ellie was never a very sexual being, and it was hard to imagine herself being so willing to give it up. Ben appeared to be the same way, she realized. It was likely they'd spend most of their relationship –if they ever had one- keeping it generally PG. She couldn't decide if that was good news or bad news.

"Can you drop me off at home?" Ellie asked, "I need to walk the dogs."

Swerving around a small round-about, Sylvia used one hand to steer unsteadily towards Ellie's street and the other to pop a smoke in her mouth.

"You aren't going to the race then?" She asked after a good long puff.

Ellie shook her head. Cars were not her forte, and neither were races. "I've had enough adventure for today."

Far too soon, Sylvia was slamming on the breaks, giving Ellie whiplash as they parked in front of her house. Rubbing her neck, she scanned the house for any signs of life.

"Before you head off, I want to give you a present for being such a shitty sport today." Sylvia announced, reaching behind the seat where they had thrown all their loot. When she reared up again, Ellie was assaulted with a wave of soft periwinkle.

Ellie took it in her hands, running a finger over the soft bows. "The dress from the store? How'd you even…"

"I stuffed it under my shirt like I had a beer belly." Sylvia smirked, looking rather proud of herself. "But don't you goddamn wear it on your date, you hear me? You're wearing the capris and… hm, I like green on you…"

She reached behind once more, producing an almost sheer emerald blouse.

"It goes with your eyes." She insisted, "Do you want anything else?"

Ellie looked doubtfully at the pile before shaking her head. "No, I'll stick to this, thanks."

Sylvia shifted gears. "Okay. Now get out of my car and have a lovely night thinking about how sex works, Princess. Come find me if you change your mind about the race."

There was a raunchy screech of tires as Sylvia flew down the street, narrowly avoiding a few parked cars in the end of the col- de-sac.

Taking her sweet time as she strolled up the lane towards her house, Ellie tried to gather her thoughts. She didn't want to hear any more excuses or explanations. None of that seemed to matter anymore. What she really wanted to know was what they were going to do. Her father had made it clear that things were unstable at home, and if he got charged with something… well, she didn't know what would happen to her family. There would be no more money to support them and it wasn't as if they had any other relatives that they could rely on through the rough times. But what really frightened her was the thought of him rotting away in some prison, forever out of their lives. Daniel Carter was the family rock. Without him, there was no one to keep his son out of trouble, to love and comfort his wife, to be a father to his baby boy, or to watch over his only daughter. Without him, their lives would simply fall apart. There was nothing else to it. An army could not continue to fight without their commanding officer.

Slipping through the screen door, Ellie was determined to get some answers. She wanted –_needed_ him to tell her what he planned to do. If he was going to get them into this mess, then he was going to get them out.

What she had not expected was to find him already standing in the hall. Her grandmother was walking a step behind, barking in his ear. When they saw her, they stopped.

"What's happening?" Ellie asked, spotting the suitcase at his side. "Where are we going?"

The two adults exchanged looks. She could feel her stomach flipping and churning, panic –one far greater than the kind she had felt shoplifting- overwhelming her.

"Where are we going?" She repeated again, desperately.

Daniel brought his large, rough hand over his face, massaging his eyelids with his thumb and index. "Ellie, Darling, I have to go back to Chicago."

With an air of weariness, he slid past with a short squeeze on her shoulder.

"You're just going to leave?" Ellie whispered sorely, "You were going to leave without so much as a goodbye?"

"Darling-," He tried to say.

Ellie felt the familiar sting of tears reach her eyes. Why was she _always_ crying? "No! It's not fair! You can't just do that. I want to go home with you!"

Daniel gripped his suitcase and stood straighter. "Elizabeth, you can't-"

"You can't just leave me here!" She continued brazenly, "I'm your daughter!"

He said nothing. Ellie felt like a fool, standing there, tears and snot running rampantly down her face as her own father, the only man who cared about her, stared on in what seemed like indifference.

Her grandmother was the one to break the silence. "You're so much like you mother." She cackled abruptly.

"I'll call when I get back. Maybe your brother will be in the mood to talk to you as well." Daniel readjusted his tie, nodded at Ellie, and stepped out onto the porch. He had never been very good with goodbyes.

He was just closing his trunk when Ellie sprinted outside. The only sound that she made was a soft pitter-patter of flats on pavement, but when she threw her arms around his neck, her tiny hiccupping wail was like a jackhammer to his ears.

"Please don't leave me here," She sniffled into his shoulder. "Please let me come home."

Daniel disentangled her gently, brushing her hair back so he could take a good look at her. He hadn't realized she had grown a few inches since they last saw each other.

"Baby girl, my little darling…" He gave her forehead a little peck. "One day, I promise you will come home. But today is not that day. I need you here with your grandmother."

"She doesn't need me."

He shook his head, bending down so they could speak eye to eye. "Darling, she does. Especially now."

"What do you mean?" Ellie asked.

"Those duffle bags," He began, "I'm leaving them here for safekeeping, you understand? I need you and grandmother to keep it all safe. Listen to me, don't touch the bags, and don't go in the room. Don't even think about them. The only time you should worry about them is if the police come to the house with a warrant, okay?"

Ellie was hardly listening; it was all flowing through her head without sticking. What did she care about some stupid duffle bags? She just wanted to know when she would be home, and if the family would be okay.

"Can't you stay a little longer?" She pleaded, gripping his sleeve as he pulled away. "Just one more day?"

"Darling, please." Daniel sighed, cutting them apart with his car door. "There is nothing I want more than to spend some time with my family, but I can't afford it. Just be brave for a little while longer, okay? Be strong, be smart, and be good."

"It's not fair." Ellie repeated, feeling another batch of tears coming on. "You can't leave your little girl here alone."

Daniel shut the car door and let the engine roar to life.

"Little girl," He said with dispassion, "It's time to grow up."

* * *

**Heeey I'm alive! haha! I honestly am so sooo sooo sorry for taking, what, a month on this chapter? I tried to get it out ASAP but... well you've all already heard my excuses. At least this ones long tho, right? TBH I didn't edit it cuz once again i'm writing this shit at three in the morning, since it's the only time I have time (?)... ANYWAY I hope it's decent enough? Got you guys a little bit of Dallas/Ellie but not much, and a lot of Sylvia, who will play a decently big part in the story? Also yeah, Ellie's dad. What's up with him, huh? Anyway fuck it, goodnight!**

**IF THERE ARE ANY MISTAKES PLEASE LET ME KNOW! **

**IF YOU SEE ANY PROBLEMS CHARACTER-WISE, LET ME KNOW!**

**IF ANYTHING BOTHERED YOU, LET ME KNOW!**

**Probs won't update for another few weeks cuz I'm lame like that. I'll be back as soon as I can!**

**REVIEWS ARE WARM HUGS FOR MY SOUL**


	12. Temple

12.

Once in a while, more often than he'd like to admit, Dallas found himself on his way to the Curtis' house, only to stop in front of Ellie's. He never knocked on the door to see if she was home, of course. He wasn't there for _her. _It was her dogs that always caught his attention. Dallas was an animal person. Humans were messy, emotional, and overall, a shitty race that he was ashamed to be a part of. Animals were better; they didn't care about anything but eating, sleeping, and mating. That was the _right_ way to live, in his humble opinion.

He liked the big Rottweiler the most. It had the meanest mug; the kind of face that told you not to mess around with him. Dallas, being Dallas, was always trying to get a rise out of the beast. But aside from a few warning barks and nibbles, Lord seemed entirely uninterested. Lady was much more interactive, though not in the way he wanted. If he so much as stuck his hand over the fence, she was on all fours, slamming herself against the painted wood in hopes of a little affection. It was Ponyboy and Soda's fault. Every night after dinner, they'd swing by and throw their bones into the yard for them to munch on. It was making the dogs soft.

Dallas had resorted to hopping the fence and wandering around in Ellie's yard, just to get the damn dog's attention. Even then, he barely lifted his head.

"You know, it's kind of weird sometimes, looking out my window to see you in my backyard, harassing my dogs."

He hadn't noticed Ellie until she was standing right behind him. He tried to hide his discomfort and slight embarrassment as he dislodged his arm from the opening of the doghouse Lord was hiding in.

"Shut up."

Ellie smiled with amusement. There was a thin layer of makeup on her face, Dallas noticed. Black paint spread across the top of her lashes, ending in a thin, hardly noticeable flick, while her cheeks were shaded with a rosy pink. It was odd, the way she had done herself up; it didn't have the same dramatic affect he had seen on most girls. On Ellie, it had been applied so sparingly that he wouldn't have been able to tell if he wasn't really looking.

"Where you goin', looking all dolled up?" He asked, crouching down to give Lady the attention she had been rubbing up against his legs for. Scratching the thick fur behind her ear, he let his eyes trail over the blue dress clinging delicately at Ellie's figure. She looked better in fuller skirts than the skinny ones; they gave her more shape. But all the bows were doing her a great injustice.

"To lunch with Ben, remember?" Ellie released the garbage bag in her hand, letting it fall to the grass. Doing a little twirl for him, she asked, "How do I look?"

Dallas shrugged. "Like… I don't know. Fine."

She pouted. "Tell the truth! I can handle it."

"I don't know," Dallas repeated with a sigh, "You look like… Shirley Temple."

Her face fell and Dallas wanted to punch himself in the face for being so stupid. He should have said she looked good and left it at that. Now what had he gotten himself into?

"I know." Ellie cried softly, burying her hands into her face. "I look stupid. I don't even want to go anymore, either way! My hair is gross and I feel fat and-,"

Dally groaned. "Shut it, Princess. You're such a whiner."

She straightened up and he was glad to see she wasn't crying yet.

"Sorry." She forced a sensitive smile, "I'll just go and cancel. I spent all night eating cupcakes and wallowing in self-pity, why not spend my day like that as well?"

He broke into laughter. "You're so pathetic!"

It was the wrong thing to say. Elle looked as if she couldn't decide if she wanted to sock him or collapse into tears. It only made him want to laugh harder. It was difficult to take Ellie seriously when she looked like a three-year-old having a tantrum. He half expected her to stomp her foot.

She turned away to march back into the house but he caught her arm just in time.

"Settle down, kiddo-"

"Don't call me that!" She interrupted frustrated.

Dallas gently tugged her back into place, trying to look a little less mocking. "Whatever, Princess. Stand still, will you? You don't look so bad."

She jutted out her bottom lip once more. "Why'd I have to bump into _you_? Johnny wouldn't have made me feel like such an idiot, or Pony, or Soda… Heck, even Two-Bit would have been more helpful."

"Now look who's being mean?" Dallas teased with a smirk. She eyed him for a moment before bursting into a hard blush. He wasn't blind to it. There were many moments where he just wanted to ask, plain and simple, if she had a crush on him. She did –it was obvious to anyone with a pair of eyes- but he was curious to see what she would do with that information out in the open. Probably nothing. She was the type to deny profusely, avoid him for a few weeks, and then spend every effort to keep him at arm's length for the rest of their lives. The more he thought about it, the more he was surprised she even found the courage to kiss his cheek that night.

"What do I do?" Ellie huffed, twisting the skirt fabric in her hands nervously. He had been staring at her for too long.

He peered inquisitively at her outfit once more. He wasn't a damn fashionista, but something had to be done about those damn bows.

Before Ellie could react, he had his switchblade out and was hacking them off of her sleeves.

"Hey!" She shrieked, "Stop! You're ruining it!"

He made a noise in the back of his throat. "Stop fuckin' moving or I'll chop your finger up as well."

She stilled, looking even more miserable than before.

As roughly as possible, Dallas picked out the bits of leftover thread. He didn't want her thinking he was trying to be nice, or anything. He was just trying to avoid all her bitching.

"Stop flinching." He commanded gruffly. Leaning on the fence behind him, he allowed Lady to munch playfully on his arm. "Open your eyes, ya' idiot. I haven't massacred you."

Ellie fingered her bare sleeves in contemplation for a moment. Then she allowed a little smile to grow on her face. "Thank you."

He shifted uncomfortably under her gaze, made a grumpy face, and gave Lady a gentle shake with his forearm still inside her mouth. "Aren't you going to be late?"

She jumped. "Right! Um, uh, thanks again."

"Whatever." Dallas mumbled. He felt suddenly aloof. Why had he bothered to help her? Why did he care if she looked like an idiot on her date? An irritated itch was growing in his chest the more he looked at the excitement on her face. This was the beginning of the end, didn't she know? If she started dating a Soc –a popular one as well-, then there would be no turning back. Next thing they knew, Ellie would be smiling awkwardly at them in the street, unwilling to stop and say hello to a bunch of no-good greasers. And after all they had done for her, as well. It would have been easier –better- to have dismissed her presence the moment her car pulled into the driveway.

He crossed his arms over his chest, eyeing her as she bent down to grab the garbage bag. She had sensed the shift in his attitude.

Before she turned away, she gave him a sullen, hurt look.

No, there was no changing her fate. She belonged to the Socs- she always had.

Dallas waited until Ellie was crawling inside a mustang, too nice and shiny to be from his side of town. Then, he gave Lady a soft pat on the head and made his way back to the street. Though it had been sunny that morning, heavy clouds had rolled in, and the air had become sticky with humidity.

Dallas pulled up the sleeves of his sweatshirt as he wandered into the Curtis' house. The only boy there was Ponyboy. He was sitting at the kitchen table, school books stretched out around him. It wasn't an unusual occurrence to see him in such a state; Darry was always locking him up in the house to study while they went out. It was a rotten deal, but Pony was only fourteen, so it wasn't as if he could get up to much fun either way.

"Hey, Pony." Dally greeted, making a bee-line to the ice-box. Tragically, they were out of beer. "Where's the boys?"

"Darry's sleeping in his room and Soda and Two-Bit just left to pick up Steve."

Dallas pulled up a chair and collapsed into it. They sat in comfortable silence as the older boy stole a cigarette from Pony's pack, lighting it.

"Where they headed?" He asked, smoke slipping between his lips as he spoke.

Frustrated, Pony pressed his palms against his temples and tugged at his hair. "I dunno, something about the girls having a sleepover that they wanted to crash. Hey, you don't happen to know how to know anything about pre-calculous, do you?"

Curiously, Dallas leaned forward to scan the sheet of paper Pony was working on. Numbers, dashes, and symbols danced in his eyes, bringing up a headache he hadn't experienced since he quit school last year.

"Are those fucking _letters_?" He growled, "Is this Math or English?"

Pony scribbled a number underneath a line. "It's a substitution- never mind."

Dally grabbed a textbook and flipped through it, examining the little drawings of smart little children doing equations, amused grins plastered on their faces. "This shit is torture, kid. Why do you even bother?"

Moodily, Pony snatched the book back. "I like it."

They were always teasing Ponyboy for doing so well in school, so it was no wonder he had turned sour so quickly. Truth was, the first thing anyone ever mentioned when the Curtis boys were brought up was Ponyboy. Sure, Darry was a big brute and Soda was as handsome as James Dean, but Ponyboy was special. Though he wasn't particularly good in a fight, and was always wandering around with his head in the clouds, Pony was, hands-down, the smartest kid to ever come from the east-side. Hell, maybe even the smartest kid to ever come out of _Tulsa. _There was no way Pony wasn't going to college one day. Darry and Soda, and even the rest of the gang, would sell their souls to the devil if it meant Pony could get out of there and make something for himself.

"I know you do," Dallas took a swig of the beer he had stolen, "nerd."

Pony sighed irritably. "You know, I think Sylvia'll be at that sleepover. Why don't you go catch up with the other boys?"

Dally snorted. "You try'na get rid of me?"

"Yes."

"Fine then." He got up, mock furious, and sauntered towards the door. "I was thinkin' of takin' you to Bucks, but forget it."

Ponyboy was out of his seat and chasing after Dallas in half a heart-beat.

* * *

Ellie tried to control her giggling as Ben and his friend, Bill, another giant football player, argued over what to play on the jukebox. She didn't say it out loud, but she was rather glad they were only messing around, and not having a real fight. Between the two of them, they could have brought down an elephant. She didn't want to find out what damage they could do to the diner they were in.

_The Way Out_ was a hip little restaurant nestled deeply in Soc territory, more than a dozen blocks from downtown. It was as clean as a whistle, Ellie noted immediately, without one scratch or tear marring the shiny new furniture. The tables, decorated in stripes of white and blue, were wiped down frequently, and the whole room was pungent with the smell of burgers and fries. Ellie didn't want to admit it, but she liked this diner better than the Dingo. She could even imagine herself going to this diner _alone_, without being frightened off by a gang of rough greasers.

"You know what?" Ben took a step back from the jukebox and smiled over at her. "Why don't you decide? The Rolling Stones or Buddy Holly?"

Ellie wiggled in between them to read the list of songs available. Pausing dramatically with her finger resting on her chin, Ellie finally stated, "Neither."

Both of them groaned.

Ellie poked a few buttons on the display, giggling once more as an old Beatles song began to play.

There was a gasp behind them. Sandra Alberts, Bill's girlfriend, was jumping up and down excitedly, her high pony-tail bouncing along as well. "I _love_ this song!"

Reaching out, she grasped Ellie's hand and led her to a free spot on the floor. Without a second thought, she began to dance and sing to the song, as wildly and freely as if she was the only one in the diner. Ellie was a different matter. She wavered uncomfortably, eyeing the teenagers around them. It was a bit unusual for anyone to be dancing in a restaurant, yet no one was paying too much attention to them. It seemed as if Sandra's antics was a daily occurrence.

Ellie was saved by Bill, who was quick to grab Sandra by the waist and give her a little spin.

"I'm not very good at dancing." Ellie told Ben as they went back to their table. A few other boys and girls were sitting in their booth. At first it had been uncomfortable. Ellie had expected it to be; she was a Greaser in Soc's clothing to them. There was nothing to be friendly about. But after an hour or so, they were beginning to warm up to her. Ellie had always been good at making friends, even if she was sort-of shy. Maybe it was because she talked so much.

Alice, the girl she had befriended a few months ago, was there as well. Ellie kept their conversation polite, preferring to speak to the other girls. It wasn't as if she was particularly mad -she always had trouble holding grudges- but the hurt she had felt that night at the drive-in was still aching dully in her chest.

Ben brushed the hair out of his eyes and grinned. "Me neither. I've been told I look like a dying squid on the dance floor."

"Oh," Ellie sat straighter, "Now I want to see _that_."

Another boy, built slimmer than his friends, snorted loudly from across the table. "No, you really don't."

His _girlfriend_ (it seemed there wasn't a single girl in sight), a senior with big eyes and a catty personality, propped her chin in her hands and leaned forward. "So, Ellie!"

Ellie could feel fright itching underneath her skin. "So…?"

"I mean, you must know…" The girl blinked, trying and failing to mask the cruel amusement flashing in her eyes. "We've all been wondering, you see…"

"God Lora, just ask her already!" Her boyfriend groaned. Lora shot him a glare but it didn't stop him from going on, "She wants to know what your deal is. Why do you hang out with Greasers? You one of them, or something?"

"'Cause you don't look like one!" The girl interrupted, as if to save face.

Ben stiffened. "Hey, will you two cut it out? You barely know her."

Ellie ducked her head down, burning holes in her dress with her eyes. It wasn't because she had become uncomfortable with the question, though she hadn't expected for them to actually _ask_. Instead, her mortification had come from the shame churning in her gut. But why did it matter, really, truly, who she hung out with, as long as they made her happy? If she were at the Dingo right then, with the boys instead of these Socs, she would have laughed and brushed it off. Because she was neither, really. She would never know the struggles of the East-side and would never be as well-bred and detached as the West-side. But at least the boys didn't care; they would tease her for it, but they would never cast her out. Yet she knew the type of people Socs were. She had gone to school with them in Chicago, only they didn't have a name. One wrong move and Ellie wouldn't be setting foot in _The Way Out_ ever again.

She replied with the only thing she could think of. "You decide."

Lora said nothing, and suddenly the sound of the jukebox and the clatter of plates became overwhelming.

"I need to go to the washroom." She told Ben. Looking at her very much like a kicked puppy, he shuffled out of the booth to let her go. Even the Ladies room was nice and clean, unmarked by graffiti and scented with flora.

Ellie had entered wanted to use the sink; her face was too done up to give a rinse like she wanted, so she would have had to opt for washing her hands. But three girls were standing in front of the counter, chatting and fixing themselves up. Ellie had felt the same apprehension she felt when she was in the same situation only a few months past with Sylvia's lot, and had scurried into an open stall instead.

She sat daintily on the cover of the toilet and sighed. _I shouldn't have run off._

It had been a long time since she had to play the game that Socs did- that almost all teenagers, middle-class to high-class, played. So long, in fact, that she had almost forgotten the stress and discomfort it had always given her. Even in her old school, she had been friendly to all but only trusting towards one or two girls. High school was an odd place, Ellie had always thought, where every little thing seemed at the utmost importance. The way a girl or boy dressed, spoke, or acted was something to pick at for flaws. Even she did it. How many times had she judged Sylvia for wearing certain outfits, or speaking in a way that would make her mother turn green? She had done it silently, yes, but it was still _thought_. Maybe she really did belong with Socs. That was what she really wanted, wasn't it? To fit in with people that she would relate to better? So why did she feel so hollow and unhappy?

"Um, Ellie?"

Jumping a foot in the air, she stared frightfully at the stall door. Between the cracks, she could see a yellow skirt and a pair of white kitten heals.

"Are you alright?" It was… Alice?

"Oh yes!" Ellie squeaked, flushing the empty toilet before fumbling with the little lock. It jammed for a moment and then opened with a wide swing. Alice stood before her, her cheeks tinged with pink.

"Okay..." She coughed, realizing she was in the way, and stepped aside. Ellie passed her with a reserved smile.

There was a pause where Ellie washed her hands and Alice hovered around the room timidly.

Eventually, Ellie felt compelled to ask, "Are _you_ okay?"

Alice placed a hand on her chest, bashfully. "Oh me? Oh, I'm fine… I mean…"

She stepped up the counter, speaking to the other girl through the mirror. "I've been feeling awfully sorry about that night at the drive-in… I just lost track of time, you see, and I've been too embarrassed to say anything to you since. Do you think… do you think you could forgive me?"

Ellie shut off the tap and pulled a paper towel from the dispenser. Taking her sweet time to dry her hands, she contemplated her answer. A part of her –a part that Two-Bit and Dallas had created, surely- wanted to tell Alice where she could shove her apology. Another part of her, a bigger and older part, reminded her that there was nothing to gain in starting a quarrel with Alice. If she accepted her apology, it meant a better chance of becoming friends with the group outside.

For someone who claimed to dislike the games of teenagers, Ellie always seemed to play it so naturally.

"I forgive you." Ellie finally announced with a little flourish. Alice, the poor girl, had been waiting so long for a response that she looked as if she might collapse from anxiety. "I mean, as long as you didn't _mean_ to do it."

Alice let out a little gasp of relief. "Oh, I'm so glad we could be friends! I got the most icky, guilt-ridden feeling whenever I saw you at school!"

Much to Ellie's discomfort, Alice reached out and linked arms with her as they scurried towards the exit.

"I can't wait! We're going to have so much fun now that we're all friends!"

* * *

"You really, really, _really_ shouldn't have brought him here." Two-Bit stated for the hundredth time, cuddling with his fifth beer.

"Well," Dallas grumbled, "You're the one who gave him that goddamn drink!"

They were sitting around a ramshackle table beside the stairs, surrounded by a few Brumly and Shepard kids. Tim himself was parked in front of the bar, arguing with Buck. Dallas vaguely understood that the Shepard gang would bootleg for Buck when he couldn't do it himself, but he also knew that half the merchandise never saw the cowboy's ugly face.

"Darry's going to murder us." Two-Bit mourned, pretending to cry.

Dallas wasn't afraid of many things, but Darryl's wrath was something he really just didn't want to face. And it would be a big fight, too. If there was one rule that both Soda and Pony had to follow to the letter, it was that neither were allowed to drink until legal age. Hell, even letting Pony into Bucks was a feat in itself.

"Not if he doesn't find out." Dally suggested.

They watched uneasily as Pony swayed towards them, having just puked out everything he had ever eaten in Buck's toilet.

"You okay, little buddy?"

Pony groaned. "Why does anyone drink? This isn't fun at all."

Two-Bit nodded solemnly. "Which is why you should never, ever drink. Or follow Dallas anywhere. I'm glad you learned a valuable lesson on the dangers of alcohol, son!"

A hand fell heavily on Pony's shoulder, almost tipping him out of the chair.

Tim Shepard, having finished his little spat with Dally's roommate, had made his way over, a lazy grin on his face. "Hey little Curtis, you aren't looking too hot."

"First drink." Dally explained offhandedly, lighting a cigarette.

Tim pulled up a chair, his back to the crowd. Reaching over to give Ponyboy a solid slap on the back, he exclaimed, "Well, today you become a man! Shit, I remember when you were still a little runt, playing pirates with Curly on the street!"

Pony made a rather sickening noise and scrambled back into the bathroom. The boys fell into peals of laughter.

"He's taking it pretty well, actually." Two-Bit drawled, "After my first drink, I was drunk as hell and crying for my mama."

Dallas -remembering the night very fondly- guffawed. "There was a time when you were sober? Huh, I always figured you were born drunk."

Two-Bit sniffed dramatically. "Don't mock my addiction, Dallas."

"You always were a kick, Two-Bit." Tim complemented, "Sometimes I forget why I don't like you."

"Probably because I slept with that _voluptuous_, _succulent_ blonde you were seeing-"

"Right." Tim cut him off. Dallas could see he was trying very hard not to get up and beat the shit out of Mathews. But that spat had been settled long ago, and there was no reason or cause to start again. They always had to be careful like that, when they got into arguments with other Greasers. Scores needed to be settled, of course, but they also needed to stick together. If a rumble was called, it was to other gangs that one looked to for support. There was no use in causing bad blood with the people you needed on your side. "Speaking of broads, heard you kids have been running around with some pretty little thing."

"Pretty little thing?" Two-Bit hummed innocently, "I dunno', Shepard, we hang out with a lot of pretty little things."

"Yeah, what about a pretty little Soc? That ring any bells?" Tim persisted.

Dallas took a long drag of his smoke. For some reason, he didn't the thought of Tim knowing anything about Ellie. He was too much of a dirty, lecherous scumbag, unworthy of even knowing a decent girl's name. Trash like Tim Shepard needed to keep to their own trashy company instead of going around infecting broads who oughta' know better. Dallas had a suspicion that Two-Bit felt the same way, judging by his rather grim expression.

"What about her?" Dallas threw out as casually as he could, "Nothing special, once you get past the dresses."

"God, she must be some amazing broad." Tim crossed his arms over his chest, ignoring his friend. "She's got half the town talkin' bout her. Mainly the women, mind you. They don't like the way she dresses and acts, I suppose, though it wouldn't kill them to be a little classier as well. Sylvia's always yapping-,"

He didn't get much farther. Dallas was on his feet in a second, nearly knocking down his chair. A few of Shepard's boys began inching towards the table, eyeing him.

"You been talkin' to Sylvia again?" He asked slowly. They had _just_ gotten back together, and if he found out she was two-timing him again, he didn't even fucking _know_ what he would do. He was sick of taking her back; sick of all the shit she put him through. One more time, and he wouldn't even care if she was the only girl willing to put out for him. He wouldn't care that they'd been together since they were fourteen. It just wasn't worth it anymore.

A sly grin stretched across Tim's face, causing his hideous scar to scrunch up in an almost grotesque way. Dallas knew that smile. This had been Tim's plan all along. The little fuck was _looking_ for a goddamn fight.

"What?" He asked, taking a calculated sip from Dally's beer to egg him on just a little more. "You with her again? Shit, didn't know. From what I saw all those nights ago, I figured you caught yourself that Soc."

Dallas saw red. _This is your best friend_, a voice told him in his head. _Your best fucking friend. And he keeps taking everything you want._

Shepard's boys inched closer, only to be waved off by their leader.

"Maybe…" Tim took another swig of his beer, barely containing his glee, "I 'oughta test drive her for you, too. You always seem to love my sloppy seconds, Dal."

Tim saw Dally's fist from a mile away.

* * *

Even with the sun still shining in the sky, Ellie felt her eyelids begin to grow heavy as Ben drove her home. So they sat in silence, allowing the quiet trickle of music and the rumble of the engine to erase any awkwardness.

"Did you have fun?" He inquired as they crossed the tracks. Ellie couldn't help but notice his increase of speed. Really, she couldn't understand why everyone was so jumpy around here; it wasn't as if Greasers waited in the bushes, hoping some Soc would drive by so they could attack them. At least, she didn't _think _that's what they did.

Ellie nodded, sitting up to flash him a sleepy smile. "Yeah, it was really nice… I'm glad I came."

"Me too." Ben agreed before chuckling in embarrassment. "To be honest with you… there wasn't any plans to go to the diner yesterday. After I spoke to you, I went come and called everyone, asking them to come so we wouldn't be alone... Begged, more like."

Drowsiness forgotten, Ellie sat up in her seat with a quizzical look. "Why?"

He forced out another laugh and reached up to fiddle nervously with his hair. "I just… I just really wanted you to come, and I figured you'd be more interested if…"

"I would have come anyway." Ellie replied breezily, "Even if it was just me and you."

She would have been eons more nervous, though.

"Really?" Ben blinked.

"Really."

As if he didn't know what to say, Ben threw out a quick, "Thanks?"

They relaxed into silence again, though Ellie could see a dazed smile slowly spread across his face as he drove. It made her grin in return, and as she stared out the window, she briefly wondered how many more car rides she'd get to experience with him. She hoped it was a high number, because she was beginning to really like the shy, charming, handsome boy sitting beside her. And perhaps, if she concentrated hard enough, the little tingle she felt in her chest whenever she saw him would bloom into the fiery yearning she experienced when-

_No. _She stopped herself, shutting her eyes to regain some sort of control over herself. _No, you're just overreacting. You're just overwhelmed. You've never hung out with this many boys before, and your hormones are getting the best of you._

"Are you okay?"

Ellie took a deep breath and opened her eyes. Ben was gnawing worriedly on his lip. They were parked in front of her house, the engine already off. How had she not noticed?

"Just a little car sick." Ellie brushed off, reaching down to grab her purse from the car floor. "But I'm okay now."

"Okay." Ben said slowly, "I'll… um, I'll walk you to your door."

"Okay." Ellie giggled, moving to open the latch.

Ben threw his own open. "Wait, wait, wait, wait!" He shouted, nearly vaulting over the hood of his car to get to her side.

She giggled again as he pulled the passenger-side door open, looking a little frazzled and out of breath. "Thank you."

They made a quick, awkward trek to her porch, where there was another wavering moment of uncertainty. Ellie waited patiently, staring up at Ben, who was opening and closing his mouth like a fish out of water.

Finally she couldn't take it anymore. "Thank you for lunch. I really did have an amazing time. You're friends are really nice… And um, I liked getting to know you better."

Ben's face turned a violent shade of red and he couldn't stop fixing his hair. "Y-yeah, um….your welcome… Um, Ellie?"

She smiled encouragingly, feeling a little heated in her cheeks as well. "Yes, Ben?"

"If- if you want to, I was wondering…" He hesitated, and then finally spat out, "If you would want to go on a date with me? I mean, a real one, just me and you? If you want! You don't have to if you don't want-!"

"But I do want you!" Ellie gasped, "I mean- I mean, I do want to! I do want to!"

At this point, it seemed as if they were simply yelling hurried, uncomfortable words at each other, so Ellie grabbed the handle of the screen door for a quick get-away. "Um, thanks again. Um, I'll see you at school."

Ben grabbed her arm before she could run inside. His face was getting redder and redder by the minute, and Ellie knew she wasn't any better. Her heart was racing and her hands shook out of the anxiety this whole situation was bringing her.

"I really like you." He admitted, trying to keep himself from shouting again, "I mean, you're a pretty cool gal…"

"I..." She hesitated, watching as his face inched closer and closer to hers. When she spoke again, it was in a near whisper, "I really like you too…"

His face moved closer still, until he was so close Ellie could count the freckles dotting his nose. A swarm of butterflies erupted in her chest and she struggled to breathe as their eyes fluttered shut-

"You better be planning to put a ring on her." Ellie's grandmother stated, her upper body sticking out of the kitchen window as she inspected them with great interest.

Mortified, Ben gave Ellie and her grandmother a stiff wave, made a feeble grumble of goodbye, and practically ran off her porch to the safety of his car.

"How rude." Her grandmother huffed, moving back inside. "He didn't even introduce himself."

Finally alone, Ellie was rooted to the spot in disbelief. Had that just happened? She had been… she had been so close to her first kiss… With unsteady fingers, she touched the soft padding of her lips. Annoyance bloomed in her chest, dissolving what was left of the butterflies. That was _not_ how it was supposed to go. They both could have been a little less awkward, for one. There hadn't been a single moment of suavity or real romance; only fumbling and the overwhelming need to get the moment over and done with.

Ellie would have gone up to her room and sulked for the night if Two-Bit's car had not sped past her house in a frightening speed. Nearly going through the Curtis' fence, the boy behind the wheel hit reverse and came racing back, making a full stop in the same spot Ben's car had just vacated.

Frantically, Two-Bit rolled down his window and stuck his finger at her. "Get in the car!"

Her expression was something in between fright and confusion. "W-why?"

"Get in the goddamn car!" He repeated, and then added in a whining tone, "Hurry!"

Instinctively, Ellie did as she was told.

"Don't you dare drive fast." She squealed as he made a rather sloppy U-turn. "Oh gosh, please don't kill me in some drunken car accident."

"I'm not drunk-" Two-Bit started to say, "Oh wait, yeah I am."

"Oh gosh." Ellie grabbed hold of the dashboard in front of her for support. "What's happening? Where are we going?"

"Firstly," He stuck up his thumb, "You shouldn't just randomly jump into someone's car without knowing where they'll take you, missy."

"Two-Bit!" Ellie cried, feeling sick at every stop sign he ignored. "Where are you taking me? Did someone _die_?"

"Oh, no, no, no." A sly smirk slithered onto his face. "I just wanted you to move with haste."

She collapsed into her seat, trying to calm down. "Then what is happening?"

He shrugged. "Dallas got into a fight."

Ellie's eyebrows knotted in confusion. She had only seen him a few hours ago- how could he have possibly gotten into trouble so quickly?

"Is he alright?" Ellie quizzed, "With who? Why?"

Again, Two-Bit shrugged. He didn't seem so worried anymore. "Does it matter? He's always getting into fights. That kid needs to see a therapist or something."

"_You_ need to see a therapist." She pouted, crossing her arms over her chest. "I came into this car thinking someone had chopped off your leg!"

Distractedly, he reached over and tousled her hair. "Sorry, Princess."

Two-Bit pulled into a vaguely familiar house. It was an old structure made mostly of wood, boasting what used to be a nice wrap-around porch and an impressive three stories of height. The whole thing was pushed far back into the lot to make room for a make-shift parking lot out front, already littered with a few souped-up cars. Only when they entered into what could only be described as some weird, half-done bar did Ellie finally remember.

"Dallas' place?" She inched closer to Two-Bit as a rather scantily clad girl –drunker than anyone should be at six o'clock- and her boyfriend staggered past them. "Two-Bit, why don't you just tell me why I'm here!"

Two-Bit had to lean in in order to hear her over the music. Even then, it was clear he couldn't make out all of it.

"Don't worry!" He slung his arm over her shoulder to keep her close as they headed towards the stairs. "We aren't here for fun!"

With a sigh, she waited until they were on the second floor, where it was slightly better to converse, before repeating herself. "Two-Bit, why am I here? To kiss Dallas' boo-boo? Call the other boy's parents to complain? Avenge him? Because I'm pretty sure you could do a better job-"

The boy swung the door to Dally's room wide open. "You, my little Soc Princess, talk way too much. And this is coming from _me_, Two-Bit, who's name literally means I never shut-up."

Ellie wasn't listening. Crouching on the edge of his bed, Dallas was pressing a bloody rag to his bare chest, sweat glistening off his ashen skin. Pony was buzzing around him with a nervous energy, making a messy pile of the already gory fabrics and handing his friend a fresh one every so often.

"Oh, my gosh," Ellie choked out, "Are you alright?"

Dallas looked up, glaring. "Do I fucking look alright? Two-Bit, you useless son-of-a-bitch. Where the fuck is Soda?"

The oldest boy shrugged. "How the hell should I know? I went over to the Curtis' house and the truck was gone. No one was home." He pointed gleefully at Ellie. "But I saw this little lady and figured she could do the same job, right?"

"What job?" Ellie balked, her eyes glued to a stream of blood trickling down his torso before being absorbed by the edge of his jeans. At a different time she would have been embarrassed to be staring so obviously at a male's body, but nothing was coming into her mind except for the gaping hole that was surely just under the soaking rag pressed at his heart.

She felt faint. Her own sweat was beginning to bead at her temple.

"You don't look so hot." Pony told her, offering his hand to steady her.

Dallas groaned. "Fuck, don't puke."

"I'm okay, really." Ellie shook herself a little and averted her eyes to the nice, blank wall. "We need to take you to the hospital before you bleed to death."

"No, I ain't going to the hospital." Dallas grumbled, re-adjusting himself with some difficulty. "Do I look like I can afford that shit?"

Ellie forced herself to look at him, concentrating on his face instead of what was happening underneath it. When she spoke to him, she used her best authoritative, motherly voice. "Dallas Winston, you are going to _die_ if you do not go to the hospital. I will _pay_ for you to go, I don't mind, but there is no way I'm going to shut up about it until you agree."

It was easy to see Dallas' mood was turning for the worse.

"If you're not going to help, then just leave!" He all but shouted, sticking his free hand out to steady himself on the bed.

"I'm _trying_ to help!" She cried back, though her voice wavered and squeaked as his thundered relentlessly.

Two-Bit stepped forward, having heard enough of their argument. "Look Ellie, we hardly ever go to the hospital unless it's life-threatening. His cut is bleeding a lot, sure but it's not as deep as you think it is. Take a look."

After a moment of hesitation, Ellie crept forward until she could crouch at Dally's feet. He looked away, more than a little annoyed with her. Ironically, she had received the same disgruntled look from him this morning, just before she left. Even her response, the little pang of hurt in her chest, resonated in her again.

Softly, -almost in apology for being so _Ellie_\- she curled her fingers around the back of his hand, pulling it away so she could see what damage had been done. Horrified and feeling sick once more, she tried to make out how deep it was through the now dying flow of blood. Maybe it was shallow, she couldn't tell, but the blood was simply too much to pretend it was an easy scratch.

"What do we do?" She asked the room of boys.

Two-Bit dropped down onto the bed beside Dallas. Rooting around in his front pocket before producing a spool of white thread, a sharp needle buried in its side. "You're gunna stitch him up."

Ellie stared at him, letting a long, tense silence hang over their heads. "…Excuse me?"

"Come on!" Two-Bit pressed, "Soda's done it tons of times, and I can bet you'd be better at it."

She wanted to swear at him, punch him, and storm out, Dallas in tow, to the hospital. Did these boys think this was a _joke_? Besides Ponyboy, they didn't even look worried! Sure, Dallas was a bit mad, but she had a feeling it had more to do with his weakened state and not the gory mess pouring out of his chest.

"I'm going to call the ambulance." She ground out, like she was speaking to children, "And I'm definitely not stitching you up like some high school lab experiment."

Dallas grabbed her shoulder roughly as she tried to stand. Staring heatedly into her eyes, he hissed, "I'm not going _anywhere_. I don't give a fucking shit if you stitch me up or not, but stop this fucking bleeding before I pass out."

Ellie swallowed. Dallas had made up his mind. He wasn't leaving, but Ellie wasn't going to stitch him up either. She just didn't have the strength to do it. The thought of piercing his skin was so putrid, just the thought made her dizzy again.

"Okay." She sighed, "Lie down. Two-Bit, get off the bed. And just so you know, I'm never going to talk to you again for putting me in this situation."

The red-head snorted and inched backwards to the door. "Puuuh- lease! You can't last a day without my charm to brighten your life. Anyway, I've got a date to night, so… well, good luck Dally-boy!"

Ellie turned around but the door was already shut behind him.

"He…" She had no words to describe her outrage. "He just…"

Ponyboy coughed. "I'm running out of rags here."

Ellie moved back towards Dallas, who was having a hard time lying down. With as much strength she could muster, she helped him ease back into his bedding, pretending she couldn't hear his grumbling and groaning and swearing.

"I'll need something to bandage it up." Ellie told Ponyboy, "And something to disinfect it as well, I suppose… maybe a basin of water?"

"Go ask Buck." Dallas croaked. Pony nodded, and with one last, helpless look towards the both of them, fled from the room.

Ellie gnawed at her lip, trying to control her nerves as she removed the soaked rag to replace it with another. The stench of blood was thick in the air, and she tried desperately not to associate it with the stink of death. He would be fine. He was Dallas Winston; if anyone could handle a slash to the chest, it would be him. Yet, before she could stop, tears began to sting her eyes.

Dallas noticed. Ellie half-expected him to roll his eyes and tell her she was being overdramatic. But he only stared, hard, at the liquid streaking her face like she had to the river of blood on his torso. Goosebumps tickled her skin.

"This wasn't how I thought I'd be ending my day." Ellie tried to joke, pressing tenderly on his wound with the cloth. The blood was slowing drastically.

An unexpectedly childish expression donned Dally's face then, very much like a put-out preschooler. He might as well have crossed his arms and huffed.

Despite the situation and her uncontrollable anxiety, Ellie laughed. Really, why _had_ she wanted to hang out with those Socs? Greasers were much more of a laugh and easier to understand, the way they allowed themselves free range of their emotions. There were no games with them; if they had a problem, they fought it out and moved on. If they didn't like you, they told you.

"You know," She got up from her position on the ground to sit at the edge of his bed, his thigh pressed against hers. "Sometimes I have no clue what you're thinking, and other times its written loud and clear on your face."

He rolled his eyes. "Whatever. How was your date anyway?" He made an effort to smirk at her. "Finally get that first kiss?"

"I'm too classy to kiss and tell."

"Fine, your pout tells everything I need to know, anyway." With a playfulness he didn't know he had, Dallas reached up to give her bottom lip a little pinch. Surprised at both himself and the softness of her lips, he tried to recover with his usual knowing smirk. "How come he didn't kiss you? Was it your bad breath?"

Forgetting that she was holding the rag to his wound, Ellie's hands shot up to cover her mouth.

"My breath does not stink!" She mumbled, before realizing her mistake and reapplying the pressure to his wound. "Sorry."

"You're being pretty reckless with my life." Dallas pointed out, trying not to cry out in pain.

"Well," Ellie simpered, "It's not like I've ever had to do this before. It's like I said, you'd be better off in the hospital."

Dallas shrugged, letting his eyes drift shut as another ripple of pain seized him. "I'm only going to the hospital if I'm dying."

"You might just." Ellie said, though she was far surer of his safety now that the blood was easing up. They should have lied him down much quicker. "Hey, maybe you shouldn't fall asleep… I think that's a bad sign."

Dallas groaned, muttered something unintelligible, and then reached out for something by her side. Unceremoniously, he latched onto her hand and dropped it onto his slick, icy forehead.

Ellie froze. He- he wanted her to stroke his hair? The last time they shared something like this, she had done it almost by accident. It had been the first time she had ever felt so content and at peace with his presence. There was no agitation or uncomfortable blushing… her fingers had found his silky blonde locks without any command, much like her mother had done to her as a child.

"I have a headache." Dallas all but growled at her hesitation, "Fix it, Nurse Elizabeth."

Smiling shyly, Ellie complied.

_It's okay_, she told herself as she scooted further up for better access. _It doesn't mean anything. You're just caring for a friend._

Threading her fingers through pale yellow locks and scratching his scalp ever so lightly, Ellie tried not to compare the lightning bolts under her skin to the butterflies she had felt as Ben leaned in to kiss her.

* * *

**Wow! A comprehensible chapter that I didn't write at 4 in the morning! I even proof-read it! Amazing! But, really, structurally wise, I'm really happy with this chapter. I hope you guys are too? TBH, I just want to get to the good part where they finally get together because I have more material for that then I do for the 'chase' bits. Alsotheybangalot.**

_**Also, I've actually gotten like three reviews about how they find Ellie annoying**_**. I just want you guys to know that's TOOOTALLLY fine. I mean, she kind of is. That's how I wrote her and if you're looking for some tuff greaser girl, or status-quo defying, kick-ass Soc, then you're reading the wrong story. Ellie will probably always be a lost little puppy, but maybe she can mature into a lost little dog (?) **** But, I mean, god made character development for a reason! Thats all I'm gunna say for now ;)**

**Also, it actually is SO LOVELY that people think I've captured the character's personalities well! I try hard not to ruin them for you guys! Let me know if there are any slips, because TBH I haven't read the book or watched the movie since it was a school assignment in grade 8, and I'm not even in HS anymore, so.**

**Also, another reminder for anyone who actually gives a shit, all the chapters are named after songs that I feel go with the chapter. You don't have to listen to them, I don't really mind. But i'm just saying, the Outsiders go REALLY well with Kings of Leon.**

_THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR LOVELY, LOVELY, NUMOROUS REVIEWS! EXPECIALLY THOSE WHO HAVE BEEN REGULARS!_

_LOVE YOU ALL AND SO SO SO SORRY FOR THE WAIT!_

_PLEASE REVIEW! ;D_


	13. Waste

13.

Johnny yawned, readjusting himself on the floor. His back was pressed against the foot of Dally's bed, his legs sprawled out in front of him. Ellie was sitting on the mattress just beside him, half-asleep.

"Go home, Els." Johnny whispered, propping his elbow in between the bedframe and bedding so he could hold up his head. "Your grandma's gunna get worried."

He had wandered over around midnight, looking for a place to sleep. It hadn't been too rough at home, but he was already sporting a sliced hand from last week and just sitting around the house made him nervous and jumpy. He was only slightly surprised to find Ellie letting him in. Despite getting along as well as cats and dogs, Dallas and Ellie were nearly always _somehow_ bumping into each other.

Ever since that odd look at the Dingo the two had shared, Two-Bit had been watching them with uncomfortable keenness. Any meeting the two had, any conversation, or eye contact was being meticulously noted in the boy's brain. Johnny had a feeling Two-Bit was playing an awkward game of matchmaker. If only he put that much effort into his school work.

"I called her earlier." Ellie waved her hand dismissively. "She thinks I'm sleeping over at Sylvia's."

Sylvia. Johnny never knew what to think about Sylvia. She wasn't a girl to be trifled with, that was certain. In fact, Dallas and Sylvia were almost one in the same- it's the reason they always had come back to each other, the way all rivers run back into the ocean. But it was also the reason why their relationships ended in chaos.

Dallas muttered unintelligibly in his sleep. She had stuffed him full of sleeping pills to get him through the night, staying by his side to make sure he didn't lose any more blood.

After checking his pulse for the tenth time in five minutes, Ellie let out a long sigh and dropped to the floor beside Johnny.

"Do you mind…" She yawned, rubbing her eyes and smearing her mascara. "- Watching him for a little while? I'll just take a little nap."

"Sure." Johnny replied, already half asleep. He felt her soft hair brush against his skin, and then the weight of her head on his shoulder.

"You're such a good friend." She murmured, curling her forearm through his. Johnny tried not to stiffen under her touch. He knew she meant nothing by it. Over the course of a few months, she had become more affectionate to all of the boys, allowing them to sling their arms over her shoulders and locking arms with them to bring them close. There was nothing romantic in her motives; she was like a cat rubbing up against their legs. Yet he still found himself uncomfortable when she -or anyone for that matter- got too close to him.

Johnny hummed in response, allowing himself to drop his head against the mattress. Dallas would live a few hours without their undivided attention.

He felt her jaw stretch with another yawn against his bony shoulder. " I'm very sorry if I drool on you."

* * *

They woke up to a rough and insistent nudging.

"Oi, you two." Dallas grumbled from above, "Quit your canoodling. I'm dying here."

Johnny stood, scratching his hair awkwardly.

"Do you need anything?" Ellie asked, pulling herself up onto the foot of his bed. She had heavy bags under her eyes and dry blood caking her hands and staining her blue dress. Johnny hadn't noticed last night, but she looked uncharacteristically murderous. "Some water? Aspirin?"

Dallas struggled to stretch properly, having to keep most of his right side still. "Cigarette."

Johnny, who was closest to the dresser, reached for Dally's packet and tossed it onto the duvet. Sulkily, Dallas managed to get one out and stick it in his mouth.

"Light." He muttered, and Ellie picked his lighter up from the floor, almost hidden by a pile of crimson rags.

She flicked it on and held it to his face. "You sure you wouldn't want some water? It'll make you feel better. You should eat something as well."

Dally's cheeks went hollow as he sucked the flame into the cigarette. Eyeing Ellie carefully, he let smoke plume for the corner of his mouth. Johnny didn't have to be Detective Two-Bit to know something had changed between them since their first meeting. Ellie's little crush (which was as subtle and secretive as a giant blaring neon sign) was one thing, but Johnny never expected Dallas to actually tolerate, or better yet, _like_ Ellie.

He shuffled his weight from one foot to the other, staring just above their heads in his attempt to dismiss his discomfort. He felt as if he was third-wheeling a date. Ire trickled down his spine as he watched her touch a heavy bruise on Dally's chin, her fingers so light he barely flinched.

Johnny didn't like the look in his friend's eyes. He had _warned_ Dallas not to play around with Ellie. It wasn't right, playing around with a girl who didn't know any better.

"What happened, anyway?" Ellie inquired suddenly, "How'd you get into such a horrible fight?"

"All his fights are horrible. He doesn't play fair." Johnny commented absently, fiddling with a loose handle on one of the drawers of Dally's dresser.

Dallas took a deep drag of his cigarette, casting the whole room a glance before settling back on Ellie.

"Go home." He commanded, "You've been here all night, girly."

"But-"

"Go home." He repeated, swinging his legs around her and onto the floor to sit up properly. "I'm perfectly fine and you look like you got ran over."

Looking down at herself, Ellie must have realized the state she was in. Blushing and feebly trying to remove some of the mess on her, she stood. "Johnny, watch over him, will you? If he starts to feel faint, or anything at all, you need to take him to the hospital."

Johnny hid a snort. The day Dallas would willingly go to a hospital was the day he arrived in a body bag.

He opened the door for her. "He'll be fine."

She paused by the doorway, turning back to give Dallas a weary expression. The boy was staring off into the distance, ash falling like grey snow on his jeans.

"He'll be fine." Johnny repeated with a little more meaning. "He's had worse."

Ellie smiled humorlessly. "That doesn't make me feel any better. Come by and tell me how he is later, will you?"

Johnny blinked. Something in her tone told him that Dallas wasn't the only thing she wanted to talk to him about.

"You better drink a lot of fluids and rest for a few days, Dallas Winston!" Ellie asserted with a wag of her finger.

"Use Buck's phone to get a ride home." Dallas crumbled, "Don't walk."

Johnny waited until her footsteps faded down the stairs before moving to sit beside Dallas on his bed.

Dally passed him his smoke. "Lemme ask you a question, Johnnycake."

He nodded, waiting for him to continue.

"You diggin' that broad?"

Johnny shut his eyes for a moment, his lungs full of smoke. He loved cigarettes; he loved the sooty, bitter taste, the way it used to burn his throat, the relaxing affect, and especially the way it swirled above him in long, wispy strands.

"No." He replied. He had always prided himself in being quiet and observing, noticing things that often went unnoticed. It came in handy when he was lifting, and it came in handy then, as he noted the satisfaction flowing in Dally's hard eyes.

"Come on," Dallas urged, "I see the way you two get along. And I just goddamn woke up to the sight of ya' cuddling."

Johnny shook his head. "It's not like that," He told him earnestly, "We're just friends. She's not so bad, once you get to know her. And she's got this.. thing..."

Dallas made a face, like he didn't have a clue what he was saying and was quite offended about it. "_What_?"

"You know," Johnny shrugged, wishing he hadn't said anything. "She's like a Soc girl, but without the bad qualities. She's respectable and brought up well, but she doesn't look down at us, even when we do something we shouldn't. I don't know... I just like it. I don't feel so rough and lousy when she's around."

Dallas squished the end of his cigarette on his bed frame. "Jesus, Johnny. Both you and Pony can say the most complicated things sometimes, I'm not even sure if it's English."

Flicking his leftover smoke out the open window on the side of his bed, Dallas took a deep breath and slowly began to peel off a corner of his bandage. The skin underneath was raw and red, swollen around the edges. He hissed and grit his teeth at the pain, gently touching the side of the cut with his finger.

Johnny looked away. "I better go find Soda. That needs sewing up."

Dallas redid the bandage gingerly and laid back down, covering his face with a tattered old pillow.

"Maybe I can catch a ride with Ellie." Johnny said, mostly to himself. He felt jittery and nervous; that wound was nothing to brush off. Dallas _should_ have gone to the hospital.

He made to get up, then paused. "Hey, Dal?"

"What?" He grumbled.

"Do _you_ like Ellie?"

He sighed. Johnny could see him fist the cushion, but with his face covered, it was hard to tell what he was feeling.

"I know you're interested in her." He pushed, taking a step closer. "You're always hanging around her, and I've never seen you be so.. tolerable with girls."

Dallas pulled the pillow from his face irritably and growled, "Why do you care, huh?"

Johnny could feel his own anger swell in his chest and tried to stamp it down. "Because she likes you. And you know it, and you just let it happen."

Sitting up again to give him a long hard look, Dallas snorted. "Bullshit."

"What?"

"You're full of shit, Johnny," Dallas went on, annoyance replaced by soft chuckling. "Really, kid, tell me why you care so much. You don't see Two-Bit or Soda bothering me with these questions. What's got you so interested, huh?"

Johnny straightened up. "Don't make this about me, Dally. I know what I want, do you? 'Cause the way you look at her, I don't think you got a damn clue."

Dallas paused for a moment, his face unreadable.

"It's like you said, Johnnycake" He finally replied, "She makes people feel a little less lousy."

His bedroom door was thrown open with a dramatic _swoosh_, hitting the dresser so hard his lamp was knocked off. Sunlight from the hallway sliced into the dark room, hitting Johnny right in the eyes and blinding him from the figure storming inside. But he didn't need to see to recognize the shrill, demanding voice, so unique it could only belong to one particular girl.

"Dallas!" Sylvia shrieked, practically throwing herself at his knees. "Are you okay baby?"

Ellie tiptoed in after her, coming to stand beside Johnny. He looked at her questioningly.

"Two-Bit isn't picking up the phone and Soda and Darry are headed to work. Anyway, I figured Sylvia ought to know, being his girlfriend and all." She shrugged, wrapping her arms around herself, glued to the scene unfolding by the bed.

Sylvia tried to cup Dally's face, but he pulled away. With the better lighting, they could see the full extend of damage on his body; bruises covered one side of his face and spotted his chest in angry greens and purples.

He pushed himself up and grabbed the broken lamp from the floor, putting distance between them. "What're you doing here?"

Sylvia got off her knees. "What do you mean, what am I doing here? I'm here to see if you're alive! It seems like the whole goddamn city knew that you got into a fight before _I_ did! I had to hear from _Ellie_, of all people! And then I come racing down here, and you're off acting like you don't even care!"

Dally's eyes snapped to Ellie at the mention of her name. The animosity that always churned in his orbs, suppressed but always visible, contorted his face in full force. Ellie flinched, and without thinking, Johnny moved in front of her.

_Don't_, he pleaded with him silently, _Leave her out of this._

"Hey!" Sylvia spoke up, grabbing Dally's shoulder to catch his attention. "Are you even listening to me?"

Again, Dallas pushed her away.

"Take Ellie home." He commanded, grabbing another cigarette. He didn't flinch as he flicked the lighter on with his right hand. He was moving so fluidly so suddenly that it was almost easy to forget the gash on his chest. Throwing a plaid button-up at Johnny, he growled, "_Now_."

Johnny grabbed Ellie's wrist, tugging her into the hallway. He was glad to get them both out of there. It wasn't that he didn't trust Dallas, but when he and Sylvia fought it always got a little hairy.

"Did I do something wrong?" Ellie asked quietly as Johnny lead her down the stairs and into Buck's bar. Without the sweltering heat of bodies, the stench of old vomit and stale beer was overwhelming.

Johnny shook his head. "No, you didn't. Let's just go home, okay?"

"How?" She wrapped her arms around herself again. "Sylvia was my ride."

He scanned the room for Buck, but he had disappeared. It was a slim chance he would have let them borrow his convertible anyway.

He passed Dally's shirt to her. "You better cover up all that blood 'cause it looks like we're walking."

The button-up, which he believed was a hand-me-down of Darry's, positively engulfed Ellie's little frame. The hem stopped somewhere mid-thigh, allowing only a few inches of her bloody dress to be seen.

"It'll do." Johnny shrugged. "Let's just hope the cops don't pick us up, because I don't think I could handle going to jail for murder."

Ellie laughed. "You'd be an accomplice to murder. I'd be the murderer."

He allowed her to string her arm through his as they headed down the porch and into the dusty gravel.

"I always knew there was something sinister in you." He joked.

Ellie puffed her chest up like some macho man. "I told you before, I'm a street cat when I get really mad."

"Street kitten." Johnny muttered under his breath, but she heard him and gave him a barely felt hit on the shoulder.

"I'm starving." She announced, "And I need a good long shower. I feel as if I've been in that house for days."

Exhaustion set in him about five blocks from the house. His head was pounding, his back hurt from sleeping on the floor, and his hand was stinging from too much movement.

He sighed loudly. "Me too."

She copied him with her own sigh. "And I don't want to walk. Im _tired_."

They continued down the street in miserable silence.

"Will you give me a piggy-back ride?"

"No way."

Ellie dragged her feet into the dirt lazily. "Please Johnnycake?"

"No way." He repeated, giving her a little nudge to make her move quicker. "Come on, we'll be there before you know it."

She whined like a hurt puppy and staggered. "Johnny, leave me behind. I'm going to die out here. It's like being in the Safari Desert."

"It's not even hot!" Johnny exclaimed, "And it's the _Sahara_ Desert, idiot."

Ellie stopped fully, bending down to clutch her knees. Squinting up at him, she gasped, "That's it? That's going to be your last word to me? 'Idiot'? How can you live with yourself?"

A few steps ahead, Johnny looked her over. Maybe Ellie wasn't being dramatic. Sunshine illuminating her face, she looked like a sleep-deprived, axe-murdering witch.

"You're choking me!" He complained five minutes later, Ellie latched onto his back.

Ellie giggled, thoroughly enjoying herself. "Sorry."

Johnny grumbled and hiked her higher. "You're too fat."

"How rude!" She gasped without taking offence. "You're just too weak."

He carried her more than halfway without complaint, just to prove her wrong. And as he was about to pitch her off of him, his arms sore from holding her up, he realized she had fallen asleep on his back. He forced himself to make the last two blocks to the DX, rather unwilling to wake her up.

"What the hell happened?" Soda exclaimed, detaching himself from his entourage of females. He followed Johnny into the shop, past Steve, who was slaving away on a Chevy truck, and gestured for him to rest Ellie on a little plastic chair beside their boss' office. "You look like you came back from Nam!"

Johnny collapsed into the seat beside her, huffing and puffing. "Carried her all the way from Dally's."

Steve wandered over, wiping the grease from his hands with a rag. "Awe, come on, Johnny, she's got to weigh less than a hundred pounds. That's not so bad."

"Less than a hundred?" He howled, "Have you seen her _eat_?"

Soda nodded, solemnly. "Actually, that's true. I don't know where she puts it, but that kiddo 'ought to be three hundred pounds by now."

Johnny could have sworn he heard Ellie mutter 'Jerks', but when he turned to look, she was still fast asleep.

"How's old Dal?" Soda asked, "How bad is the damage?"

He shrugged. "Alive, thanks to his nurse, here. But he would have been better off if you showed, Soda. It needs stitching up, and Ellie wouldn't do it."

"You know, it was the damnedest thing..." Soda crossed his arms over his chest, rather perplexed. "I was standing by the front window when Two-Bit came racing down the street. I saw him; made eye-contact with him, even. But he just gave me this look, turned his head, saw Ellie, looked at me again, and then just... took off with her instead."

_Oh god_. Johnny thought. _That scheming son-of-a-bitch_.

"Well, come one then." Soda gestured for him to stand. "I'll give you a ride home. Better go check up on that wounded animal anyway."

With more grace and ease than Johnny could ever manage, Soda picked Ellie up and carried her to his truck, sticking her in between the two of them.

"He'll be even more wounded when you get there, if Sylvia gets her claws into him."

Soda snorted as he turned the key in the ignition. The engine roared to life, and so did Ellie.

"Could you please tell your truck to keep it down?" She whimpered, rubbing sleep from her eyes.

Soda grinned at her in a way that made the corners of his eyes crinkle. Johnny always thought it was the kind of smile cowboys had.

"Well, good morning, Princess. Had a nice nap? Got all your beauty rest in?"

She managed to stretch in their small confined space without hitting anyone in the face. "It depends, do you think I look any more beautiful?"

* * *

Soda dropped the two in front of her house. Johnny had tried to go home, but she was insistent on having him come inside.

"My grandmother's not home." Ellie explained, "She went to the clinic for some scans. My mum thinks she's going to go soon, you know, to heaven? But I doubt it. She's old, but she's always been old."

She gave him little smile and swung the screen door open. "But that's not what I wanted to talk about."

Johnny stepped inside behind her, feeling a little out of place. And ashamed, if he really thought about it. Ellie's house was a little rough on the outside, but the inside was like stepping into some kind of home magazine, despite the spartan theme. In _his_ house, it was a rarity just to see it clean, and even then it didn't last long.

"I'll make us something to eat." Ellie shut the door and made the two steps into the kitchen.

Johnny gestured to her dress. "Don't you want to change or something first?"

She looked down at her outfit, pulling the fabric out in front of her as if she had just remembered she was wearing it. "Nah. It sort of fits the theme of the day, anyway."

Reaching into the cupboard by the refrigerator, she produced a large pan and let it drop onto the stove element. "Pancakes?"

"What do you mean, 'theme of the day?'" Johnny interrogated, watching her crack a few eggs into a bowl. Half of the yolk kept falling out when she hit the shell too hard; if he didn't know better, he'd think she'd never cooked a day in her life.

"Gritty," She hummed, wandering around the kitchen and opening cupboards and drawers as she went. "Rough, dangerous, shocking... That's the theme of the day."

His eyebrows rose. "I think I've had enough of all that, thanks."

Much to his surprise, Ellie stopped in her path, her face bursting with the most heartbroken expression.

"Oh, Johnny!" She whispered, "I never stopped to think- oh! Wait just one second!"

Ellie ran out of the room and Johnny shot up, wavering on the edge of chasing after her or waiting it out. He was so confused! Had he done something wrong? Probably, considering the way she had acted, but what?

He collapsed back onto his seat at the kitchen table, convinced life was easier when he didn't have to worry about hurting a girl's feelings. With a new hammering sensation erupting in his skull, he let his head clunk against the cool surface in front of him. Was he supposed to follow her? He didn't even know where she had gone. Maybe she was crying.

He groaned.

Another tense moment passed and he got to his feet, ready to drag her out of whatever corner she was moping in so he could apologize.

"Okay, sit down!" She buzzed back into the kitchen, not a trace of sadness on her. In one hand she was holding a little white kit, shaped sort of like a lunch box, with a red cross painted neatly on one facade. Pushing him down, she set herself up on the other side of the table.

"Hey, there's an eye-patch in here!" Ellie giggled, producing a little fabric circle attached to a ring of elastic. "I think you should wear it."

Johnny -for no good reason he could think of besides the fact that it made her happy- let Ellie pull the thing over the side of his face, blacking out his right eye.

"Arr..." He muttered dispassionately.

She giggled again. "This is fun. I should fix people up more often. Gimme your hand, will you?"

"Well," Johnny passed her his injured his hand, "If gold-digging ever falls through for you, you can always become a nurse."

"Ha-ha." She rolled her eyes, but her smile stayed. Flipping through a little booklet, she hummed and ha-ed. "So it says here that.. I wrap around the- oh, forget this, we'll just wing it."

Ellie threw the booklet back inside the first-aid kit and gingerly set his hand down so she could unravel some of the bandage. "This probably won't do much for healing, with all that dried blood clogging up the wound already, but it should keep it from getting infected."

Her fingers were warm and gentle on his hand, never scratching him despite the pink claws she had on. He wasn't shocked that she had noticed his injury without being told. For someone so naive, she sure did catch on quickly. He suspected she either chose to ignore that things she was ignorant about, or she knew more than she let on.

Johnny smiled at the way she bit down on the tip of her tongue as she concentrated, her eyebrows furrowing. She was always reminding him of a little girl.

"You boys sure do get hurt a lot." She mentioned, holding the dressings tight with a little bandage clip.

He shrugged. "Sure, but the only one who actually goes lookin' for it is Dallas."

Ellie nodded, unusually quiet while she organized her kit. Eventually, and with a hint of dismay, she asked, "You don't think... you don't think they got into too bad of a fight? Dallas and Sylvia, I mean... He wouldn't really... hurt her, or anything, right?"

Johnny didn't know what to say. He wanted to tell her the truth, but he wasn't sure what the truth was. Would Dallas ever hit a girl? Johnny wouldn't put it past him. But he also always thought Dallas had a bit of a soft-spot for the fairer kind. He'd harass them on the street and try to bed as many as he could, but he'd never force them into anything. And there were certain things he let them get away with, like telling him off. That's certainly more than he would let a man do to him. The truth was, Johnny liked to keep out of Dally's love-life, so he wouldn't know too much about whether or not he'd ever gotten violent with Sylvia. Nor did he ever want to find out.

"No," Johnny shook his head, "If anything, Dallas should be scared of Sylvia."

Ellie didn't too reassured. "I shouldn't have told her... I just thought- well, clearly I wasn't thinking at all, but since she's his girlfriend and... You think he's mad at me too now?"

This time, Johnny snorted. "Dally's always mad. Don't take it personally."

He waited patiently as she contemplated his words, fiddling with his new bandage. He'd take it off the moment he stepped out of the house, of course. He couldn't have anyone spot him with some fancy band-aid on, looking like a three-year-old with a boo-boo. But if Ellie wanted to make herself feel like she was helping, he'd let her. It felt kind-of nice to be taken care of, anyway.

She glanced up at him timidly, "Johnny, I want to show you something. But you can't let anyone know, not even Ponyboy or Dallas or _anyone_."

He agreed with a nod, curiosity getting the best of him. Ellie bit her lip, held his gaze for a long moment, trying to see if he was being genuine, before getting up and leading him back into the hall. She passed the dining room and living room without a backwards glance, stopping at a relatively simple door that looked as if it lead to a study or perhaps a bedroom.

Ellie spun on her heal and stuck her pinky in Johnny's face. "Right. You've got to _promise_ now, Johnny Cade, that you will, for one, not panic, and two, not tell a living soul about what you see in this room and that you'll take my secret to the grave."

Interest piqued, he wrapped his finger around her's in a tight knot. "I promise."

"As God as our witness?" She pestered, and he nodded vigorously, eager to see what was locked behind the now very mysterious door.

She let him go and dropped a hand on the door handle. As an afterthought, she added, "Close your eyes."

He heard the creak of the door as it was opened, and in the next moment, Ellie had a hand on his back, leading him inside. He slid his eyes open just enough for him to see a set of blurry images, obscured by his lashes. The room was bare, cold, and dusty. Particles eliminated in the beams of morning light shining through a little window on the far wall. In one corner, a few floor boards were blackened and rotting.

"Stay right here." Ellie insisted, disappearing somewhere behind him. The sound of scraping and a zipper being slid open broke the heavy silence of the room and it took all of his strength not to turn his head and see what she was doing. He didn't have to wait very long, however. In a few seconds, she was back at his side, something black gripped in her fingers.

"Put your hands out."

He did as he was told, opening his eyes as the object touched his skin. Sitting in his palms was a fat, shiny, metal gun. Turned to raise an eyebrow at Ellie, he noticed a few bags on the floor behind her, undoubtedly filled with more of the same thing.

"So," Ellie grabbed her elbows and avoided his questioning gaze. "You know how I told you my dad was acting really weird that day of the barbecue? Well, it turns out, he's a drug dealer."

"Yeah," Johnny nodded, "I know. But that doesn't explain all the guns."

She gaped at him. "You _know?_ What do you mean you know?"

"Everyone knows."

"_Everyone_? Who's everyone?" She cried, stepping forward.

Johnny stared down at the gun. He'd never used one before- or seen one, for that matter. It was heavier than he expected. "Uh, pretty much everyone who met him. It was kind of obvious, the way he talked about his 'job' as a 'salesman'. No salesman is as rich as your dad, Ellie."

Ellie squeezed her eyes shut and cupped her head in her hands. "Everyone knew except for me?"

"Well," Johnny thought out loud, "Maybe Two-Bit doesn't know. He's not very observant."

She dropped down on the windowsill and groaned loudly.

Johnny gripped the pistol in his hand properly, pointing it at the blank wall to his right. Winking, he tried to line it up to a particularly bad peel of wallpaper. "So you're dad just showed up with a few bags of guns?"

Ellie leaned her head against the window. "Yeah, I guess controlling a drug-ring also means you have to be a murderer."

He let dropped the gun as if it had seared his skin. It clanked obnoxiously against the hardwood, scraping a little ways away from him.

"You-" He took a step back, "You let me handle a heated rifle with my bare fucking hands?"

Ellie sat up. "What?"

"The gun!" He was almost screaming, "Their going to find my fingerprints all over it!"

She got up and grabbed it up from the floor. "Well then, there, now they'll have my finger prints too."

He wanted to vomit. "They're going to arrest me for murder, Ellie!"

"And i'll go down with you." She didn't seem at all worried as she managed to open the barrel and take a look. "Like Bonnie and Clyde, except we're innocent. There's three bullets in here."

Johnny inched towards the door. "Just put it back where you found it."

Ellie laughed. She seemed much more at ease now that she wasn't carrying around her secret. "Don't be such a scaredy-cat, Johnnycake. Haven't you ever wanted to shoot a gun?"

"No." He insisted, taking it out of her hands and throwing it atop the bag. "Just stay out of the room and keep it locked up, okay? They're more trouble than they're worth, do you hear me?"

She pouted. "Fine. Jesus, what are you, my father?"

"What about you?" He shot back, "I would have thought you wouldn't want to touch those things."

"I know." Ellie sighed, letting him drag her into the living room. "I think i'm dangerously attracted to bad things, Johnny."

That, he knew.

Johnny stretched out on the couch and she joined him.

"If I get framed for murder, I'm blaming you." He stated.

She kicked off her kitten heals and propped her feet up on the coffee table. "Have you ever been to jail?"

Johnny scratched and tugged at his hair distressingly, "God no, my parents would slaughter me."

He had only meant it as a figure of speech, but the agony and remorse that appeared on Ellie's face was painful to see.

She gnawed so feverishly on her lip he thought she might chew right through the flesh, keeping her eyes fixed to the muted television screen in front of them. A rerun of '_Bewitched_' was showing, but it wasn't nearly as good as it usually was without the sound. Who watched television like that, anyway? What was the point? He'd have to ask her one day.

_God_, he was so uncomfortable. If she had something to say, she better just spit it out already. His headache was getting worse.

"Listen, I didn't mean to-" He started to say, but Ellie grabbed his shoulder before he could go on.

"Don't apologize!" She begged him, eyebrows knitted together. "If you apologize I might just cry!"

Johnny couldn't help it; listening to her speak was like watching a soap. He snorted with laughter. "What do you have to cry about, Ellie?"

"Because I feel sad!" She admitted, kicking her feet off the table and sitting up straighter. "And bad, and _angry_! Really, really angry! You know, I never felt as angry in Chicago! But I can't help it here! Everything's so... aweful and painful and ugly! It's not _fair_, Johnny!"

He gripped her shoulder to keep her still. "Jesus, Ellie. You've got some mighty mood-swings, you know that? One minute you're as happy as a clam, the next you're crying like the world's ending. Now, just tell me what's wrong, will you?"

She took a large, shaky breath. "Johnny, I don't know your parents, but I _hate_ them with all of my heart."

He stared at her, unable to speak. He didn't know the word to describe how he was feeling, though he was sure Pony would have been able to tell him if he was there. Perhaps he was happy to see someone so openly hurt for him. Of course he knew his gang of friends felt just as strongly, perhaps even stronger, but to them it was something that had to be endured silently, like a true greaser. After all, he wasn't the only kid to ever had a father who hit him. Yet 'happy' didn't seem to encompass his emotions, especially because he didn't feel exclusively _good_. In ways, he felt lousy as well. Aching, as he always was, over the fact that he even had to have this conversation with her- that his parents didn't love him the way they should have. Angry, like her, because not only did they hurt him, but every time he showed up with a new bruise or cut, it hurt those who truly did love him. And, perhaps, he even felt a little angry at Ellie. After all, he wasn't some wounded kitten looking for sympathy. He had survived sixteen years without her pity, and he'd live another sixteen just fine without it.

Johnny sat back, melting into Ellie's expensively soft couch. "You're right. Life isn't fair, is it?"

She leaned back next to him, sitting very much like they had in Dally's room, her head on his shoulder. "Happiness sure is hard to have, isn't it? I mean, I have a lot to be grateful for, yet sometimes i'm just so awfully sad."

He reached into his pocket and pulled out his cigarette packet, craving them more than usual. With one hand trapped between Ellie and the couch, he managed to stick one in his mouth and light it. She didn't tell him to stop, even though he knew she didn't like smoking in the house.

"Do you believe in fate, Els?"

"Well," She thought, "I guess I believe God has a plan for all of us?"

Johnny exhaled and smoke stung their eyes. "I do too. I like to think He plans it all out before we're born, sort-of. Not everything, of course, but I bet he decides all the big things that happen."

"Like when I got sent to Tulsa?"

"Sure," He agreed, "But I think, everything in between those events, like how you choose to handle them, that's all up to you. If you get fired from your job, you can either mope or you can get another job. You decide for yourself whether you let it eat you alive, or weather it and survive."

He felt her swallow. "I guess. Is that what you do? Weather it and survive?"

"Sometimes." He finished off his smoke faster than he had anticipated. He must have been really itching for it. But at least he felt calmer now. "What i'm trying to say is, try not to let the things you can't control get you down."

He let her think to herself for a few quiet moments while he watched the muted television screen. He counted three commercials pass by, one for a new brand of beer and two for milder cigarettes.

Finally, Ellie sat up, her usual smile dulled a little, but still unfaltering. "Do you want to know how I make myself happy, even when I miss my home in Chicago with all my heart?"

He smiled back. "Sure."

She dropped her head back down onto his shoulder. "Well, when I'm feeling really sad, I open my window, lay down on my bed, close my eyes, and If I try hard enough, I can almost pretend that i'm in my old room, and that the noise of the street is the noise of Chicago."

"Does it really work?" He asked.

Ellie nodded, her hair brushing against his cheek. He supposed he'd have to start getting used to how affectionate she was. "Yes, except for when the train comes by. There weren't any trains by my house in Chicago. Hey Johnny, if you could be anywhere in this big, wild world, where would it be?"

That was a pretty big question for someone who had never stepped out of Tulsa. Though he supposed he'd never been happier than when he was with his friends.

"I've always wanted to see the ocean." He admitted, "So maybe California."

"Oh! Like L.A.?" She asked, excitedly.

"Maybe." He laughed, "Maybe I'll go off to be some big-shot actor."

Ellie patted his chest fondly. "I'd watch all your works, even the horrible ones."

"And if I ever get hurt, I'll be sure to call up the best gold-digging nurse in all of America."

* * *

Johnny winced, sickness rising up in his throat. He wasn't even inside the house and already his palms were clammy with sweat. God, if anyone ever saw him the way he was now, shaking like a leaf on his front porch, they'd know he was nothing but a goddamn coward. How many rumbles had he been in? How many punches had he thrown to protect himself from a Soc? Yet the thought of his own father made him quake in his boots. He hated himself. He hated himself for giving that wretched, piece of shit low-life inside the ability to make him so weak.

He could hear them arguing inside. The subject of their fight was unclear, though judging from the way his mother was shrieking and smashing everything they owned, it appeared as if his father had blown all the rent money on beer. Again.

Johnny moved quietly down the porch, knowing from experience what boards creaked louder than the others and avoiding them accordingly. It was too late to go back and crash on the Curtis' couch. He wouldn't make it a block without getting hassled. Dallas was out of the question; it was best to avoid him for a good week after a blow-out with Sylvia. His only option would be to sneak through the house and make it safely to his bedroom. But today was his lucky day. From what he could gather, the two of them were fighting exclusively in the living room, where his father took his afternoons watching crap shows and drinking crap beer.

He rounded the house as quietly as a robber, running his fingers along the deteriorating siding. There used to be a bed of flowers planted along the walls, but years of neglect had turned it into a bed of weeds.

The kitchen door creaked as he opened it, but the sound was faint against his parent's screaming.

"-Yourself! What are you going to do when we get evicted, huh? Go sleep at the bar?" He heard his mother's voice float over through the hallway. Johnny had been right. There were only three things his parents ever fought about; money, each-other, or him.

He had spent the day studying with Ellie until her grandmother had come home. It was good that she had made them a large brunch too, because there was nothing but stale bread on the counter, and all the butter and jam had run out last week.

"Didn't I say shut-up, woman?" His father answered gruffly, his throat stuffy with drunkenness.

His mother only grew louder. "You might as well, you god-damn boozer! I'd love to see you try and survive on your own! I'd be surprised if you even know when to shower if I didn't remind you!"

Johnny poked his head out of the kitchen to peek into the hallway. To his right was a set of stairs leading to his bedroom. To his left, his mother was standing, hands on hips, shouting into the room his father was in. She was a thin woman with short, curly black hair- hair he had inherited. What was all her own, however, was her angry, scowling, pointed face.

The distinct sound of his father rising from his recliner screeched in Johnny's ears and without any more hesitation, he scrambled up the steps, feeling very much like someone was chasing after him, about to grab at his ankles and drag him back down. It wouldn't have been the first time.

"And where have _you_ been?" His mother shouted up at him. In his fright, he had forgotten to be quiet.

He couldn't think of a reply, and he certainly wasn't going to stand there and wait for one to come to him. He was sickeningly relieved when she was distracted once more, her husband looming over her like some great big fleshy building. Johnny slammed the door to his room before he could see any more of their fight. He would have tried to protect his mother once upon a time, before he realized it didn't make her love him any more.

Johnny's room was nothing to be excited about. The walls were covered in some atrocious cowboy wallpaper slathered on long before his family had moved in. His bed was a mattress pushed to the warmest corner of the room and his dresser was a crumbling thing with a missing bottom drawer. Without a proper light, the room was pitch black when the sun fell.

Too tired to change, he stripped down to his underwear and dove onto his bed. His parents were still at it, their conversation muffled by the layers of wall. Yet he could have sworn he heard his name uttered at least a dozen times. They were fighting about him now.

Johnny squeezed his eyes shut.

_California_, He chanted inwardly, _California, California, California. The sun, the palm trees, the waves crashing onto the sand. All those happy families out for a day at the beach, all those happy teens, surfing and dancing and falling in love. And the ocean, that big, dark mystery, so vast it touched the sky. California, California, California._

Yet no matter how much he tried, he just couldn't pretend that the sounds of his parent's shrieks were the cries of gulls, or that the wind rattling their little shack was the sound of waves foaming in the shallows.

Somewhere far away, a train's whistle blared.

* * *

**I like to think I added the title of this story very subtly into this chapter. Probably not. Whatever. If you didn't clue in, Wild World is a song by god knows who. It was in Skins. The point is HOLY SHIT I'm so crappy at updating i'm so sorry. I promise I'm not goofing around. I've just been working like nine hour shifts four days a week and I get home really late and blah blah blah. I really have been writing, though.**

**Yay for Johnny and Ellie friendship time! I'm trying really hard to steer away from any notion of romance between them, but tbh I think Ellie's feeling a bit under loved with all her family gone so she'd be really touchy and clingy with her friends. If you didn't read one of my previous author notes, I'll state it again.  
****There will be NO Johnny/Ellie romance in this. None. ****Saying that, I know there will be bucket loads of people who will look at it that way anyway, so whatever.**

**I want to say a giant thank you to everyone who has reviewed! I take everything you say into consideration, no matter how small! Every complement fuels my passion to write and every correction forces me to be a better than before! I know I've pumped out a few crappy, mistake-riddled chaps but I'm trying to write when I'm awake now so hopefully they'll be more put together like you all deserve!**

**Lots of love and adoration to those who read and review!**


	14. On Melancholy Hill

14.

Dallas rubbed a hand over his face, holding in a groan.

"You okay, kid?" Buck asked. He was behind his bar, scratching some residue off of a glass with his fingernail. "You're as white as a ghost."

"Shut it." Dallas wheezed out, sucking on his tenth smoke that morning. It seemed to be the only thing he could do that didn't hurt. Even showering had been a struggle; the water had stung so badly that he thought he was going to pass out right there, butt-naked in a tub that hadn't been washed since the second World War.

Buck snorted, indifferent to his roommate's struggles. "Just hold on to life for another few months before you keel over, alright? Slash-J still needs you for three more races."

Dallas exhaled and a wave of nausea overcame him. He put a hand on the counter to stead himself. "I'll be fine."

"I don't know," Buck eyed his form skeptically as he put down his glass. "It's been a week and you're still looking rough. Shepard tore into you pretty good, huh?"

More than good. Tim had cleaned the floor with him. All Dallas could be thankful for was that there hadn't been a big crowd that night. It was him who had taken out his blade first, but for all the times he had fought dirty, it seemed Tim had been expecting it. He lunged before Dallas could even press his switch, slashing right across his bicep when he meant to aim for his arm. If it had been a stab instead of a swipe, Dallas would have died, his blood on his best friend's hands.

He chuckled to himself and stood up, nearly toppling over from the shock of pain shooting across him.

"Jesus, Dallas, go see a doctor, will you? I don't want the cops crawling around here 'cause some dumb-ass died on my floor, alright?"

Dally waved him away, walking slowly towards the entry way connecting the bar-room to a separate room. Though it had been made to be a dining room -connected to a kitchen on its right- Buck kept it as a living room. If he was having a particularly good turn-out, he'd open it to his guests, but for the most part is the one place in the house that Dallas could be left relatively alone.

He eased himself on the ratty, stained couch and shut his eyes. Coming into the room looking for some peace and quiet, instead he felt lonely.. again. It annoyed him, how over-emotional he could get. If he had been in better shape, he would have gone out and caused a little mayhem to get past the sick feeling in his chest. But for now he'd have to sit there and dwell on it.

It was all Sylvia's fault. The bitch had caused a storm in his room, cursing and smashing everything she could reach. She was stronger than she looked; he'd have to find a new lamp and dresser. At a different time, their fight would have ended in raw, angry sex. It was practically a tradition with them- Sylvia would cheat, he'd stew for a while, and then they'd have a grand fight before sleeping together again. Dallas could always count on her sweetening him up and wrapping him around her finger. It was, without a doubt, her very, very inviting body that did it. He didn't feel bad about admitting that truth. They used each other. Sylvia enjoyed the drama of their relationship and Dallas enjoyed the sex. It was what they were built on. He wasn't even sure if they'd ever had a real, normal conversation.

But that day had been different. He didn't know why; everything had been going as usual. Sylvia was sprawled across his bed, legs hitched around his waist, their lips locked in a heated kiss. To him, sex was like racing a horse. Everything seemed to fade in a haze of un-importance. There were no thoughts, no memories, no worries, just an encompassing feeling of control. If he steered this way, he could gain a few seconds of distance between him and his competitor. Twist that way, and he earned a loud moan from the girl underneath him. It made him happy, and it made him feel like he was worth something, if only for a few fleeting moments.

Dallas sighed, taking another drag from his cigarette. Something had been wrong with him that night. Nothing should have stopped him from doing the deed, but... he didn't understand it. Instead of feeling the usual buzz of attraction and excitement- instead of that dominating control that made him feel like a real, solid man...

He only felt lonely.

"Well shit, ya' Old Yeller. I 'oughta take you out back with a shotgun."

Dallas opened his eyes. The light in the room had faded into a soft yellow. He must have fallen asleep.

"Actually," Two-Bit muttered as an afterthought, wandering over to sit on the coffee table, looking down at his friend. "That movie's too sad to make a joke about. I cried in the theater, you know? I thought my date was going to laugh, but she really dug it for some reason. She even let me stick my hand up her skirt."

"Two-Bit," Dally growled as he rose to sit up. "Shut up, will you?"

The boy stole a smoke from Dally's pack on the arm of the sofa. "Well, that's what I get from trying to visit my dying friend."

"I'll kill you."

"You'll have to get off the couch first." Two-Bit quipped. He laughed and dodged Dally's half-assed swipe at his head. He had the kind of hyena laugh that made you want to sock him in the face.

Dally stole his cigarette back. "What do you want?"

Two-Bit shook his head. "No, no, no. It's what _you_ want, my friend. I figured you'd been cooped up in this place for long enough, you might want some fresh air. The gang is meeting up at the Drive-in tonight. No Sandy, no Evie, no Kathy. No girls, just us boys. And you're coming."

No girls? That was hard to believe. Soda and Sandy were practically attached at the hip, and if Sandy was there, so was Evie.

"No girls?" Dallas scoffed, "Not even our precious little Soc?"

An annoyingly knowing smile stretched across Two-Bit's face. "Wouldn't you like to know."

The other boy lit a cigarette. At the rate he was going, he'd be finishing his pack in an hour. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"You know exactly what it means. I've been watching you around her. I know a lovesick bastard when I see one." Two-Bit wiggled his brows suggestively. "You wanna be the Knight-In-Shining-Armor to your little Soc Princess."

Dallas snorted at him and took a drag of smoke. "Whatever you say, idiot."

Two-Bit shot up, nearly scaring the wits out of Dally. "Ah! So you don't deny it!"

"Two-Bit-"

"Oh no!" He wagged his finger in Dallas' face. "You don't get to worm your way out of this!"

Dallas stared up at him, a little lost for words. An unexpected panic was worming it's way into his lungs and threatening to rise out of him like vomit.

Taking a deep breath, Two-Bit sat back down and held his hands on his lap like some sort of knowing therapist."You're in the company of a friend, Dally. You don't have to act. It's not like the rest of us haven't considered her. She's pretty, and she's got that whole innocence-begging-to-be-ruined thing."

"Then why don't you go for her?" Dallas snarled, surprising at the animosity in his voice. He seemed to be shocking himself a lot lately; he was loosing his self-discipline. And his sanity as well, it seemed.

Two-Bit shrugged. Dally's anger was only making him happier. "She's not blonde. And I'd hate to disrupt the awkward little thing you two have going on."

Dallas kept quiet, absentmindedly smoking his cigarette and avoiding the pangs of ..._feelings_... erupting like fireworks in his stomach. It felt worse than the gash in his chest.

"What's stopping you?" Two-Bit asked after a pause, "I've never seen you so hesitant to bed a girl."

He shook his head. "It's not that simple."

Two-Bit laughed again. "It never is with girls."

"You think," Dallas tapped some ash onto the floor, "I'd be able to hook up with her and move on? She'd want more than that. She'd want a goddamn _relationship_."

"That's never stopped you before." Two-Bit pointed out.

"Yeah, well, I've never wanted a girl that actually mattered to the gang. Don't pretend like you wouldn't want to kill me just a little if I slept with her and then dumped her. God knows Johnny would be furious. Hes been warning me for months to keep my filthy hands off of her."

Two-Bit waved his hand. "Johnny's just being protective. It's his nature. And I've got a feeling you wouldn't ditch her. You'll never admit it, but I know you like her just as much as we do."

"So what?" Dally laughed, "You think I'm going to end up marrying her and having five hundred babies? I'd let her pops shoot me in the face before I let that happen."

"You know what?" Two-Bit snickered. Getting up, he slapped Dallas on the shoulder and headed towards the door. "I never thought I'd see the day that Dallas Winston was a coward. And over a girl, no less."

If the slap hadn't crippled him with agony, Dallas would have gotten up and beaten the smart-ass out of him.

Two-Bit stuck his head back inside the room. "Hey, hurry up, will you? We'll miss the beginning if you take any longer."

* * *

Ellie scribbled hurriedly along her notebook page, attempting to catch every word her Geography teacher was spewing out. Her last class of the day was in a stuffy room on the top floor, taught by a skinny man that resembled Shakespeare. In the almost-summer climate, even the open windows did little to stop the students from falling into a heat-induced nap.

All but Ellie, being one bad mark away from getting a C-. She wished Mr. Watts would slow down; her hand was cramping up and she had already made ten spelling mistakes that she didn't have time to go back and fix.

Someone poked her shoulder, but Mr. Watts was describing a particularly important aspect of time differences around the world and she couldn't miss a word of it. There was no way she was getting anything below a C+ in her next test.

She was jabbed again, this time accompanied with a loud _pssst_!

It broke her concentration and suddenly she had missed a whole sentence of Mr. Watts' lesson.

"Two-Bit, I swear if you're going to tell me another fart joke I'll-" Ellie turned around to see a shy, pimply girl raising a slip of paper to her.

"Oh.." Ellie blushed, casting a glance around the room as she took the note. A row down, Sylvia was turning red with silent laughter while Two-Bit's seat remained desolate. Ellie turned back to the girl. "Sorry."

Mr. Watts paused in his disrupted lesson, tapping a ruler against his desk to grab their attention once more. "Mrs. Carter, is there something you would like to share with the class?"

Ellie shook her head, hiding the paper behind her back as she slumped further into her seat. "No, sir. Sorry, sir."

"Then I suggest you pay attention. Education is just as important to a young lady as is flirting with a neighbor." Mr. Watts cast her one last stern glare before turning back to his notes.

Under the table, Ellie unfurled her secret note.

_Girls night at yours. Tonight._

Underneath the words were two little boxes she could check off. Her only two options were 'Yes' or 'Yes'. After that, Sylvia's rolling signature took up most of the page.

Glancing up to make sure the teacher wasn't watching, Ellie quickly scribbled:

_I can't, it's a school night._

And then sent it back the way it had come. She had barely finished a third line before she was tapped on again.

_No it's not. We'll be over around five._

Ellie looked up at Sylvia. The fire-haired girl had one sharp eyebrow higher than the other, looking rather expectant. Did she think Ellie would just except whatever she said? It was a Wednesday night- a school night. Sylvia was one of the most fearsome girls she had ever met, but that didn't mean she could call the Grand Canyon the Pacific Ocean.

_Really, I can't. Maybe another night._

Ellie twisted around to pass the note once more, but the girl behind her only scowled. It seemed as if Ellie wasn't the only one struggling with her grades. The girl's book was crowded with messy, unorganized words, written down in haste. A little redwith embarrassment, Ellie turned back to her own notes. She had missed a good ten minutes of Mr. Watts' lesson.

With a sigh, she picked up her pencil and dropped the tip to a new, fresh line on her page. It didn't matter; whatever Sylvia wanted was hers already.

Ellie scribbled down a note, but it didn't make sense without all the other information she had missed. To make matters worse, Mr. Watts had finished speaking and was assigning them their homework.

"Finish questions one to five on page seventy-six by tomorrow morning." He demanded. Ellie opened her textbook immediately, hoping to finish as much work as possible before the bell rang. But the only thing that she could think of was Sylvia, sitting a little ways to her right, just out of vision.

She didn't want to sound bitter, but Sylvia was starting to get on Ellie's nerves. She had never met a woman who could be so demanding, crude, baleful, arrogant, and wily. If she had been raised by _Ellie's_ mother, Sylvia wouldn't have dared to be so pushy. It was unbecoming for a girl; she'd never find a husband so willing to ignore these flaws.

Ellie took a peak at her friend. The girl was relaxing in her chair, textbook untouched, a big, pink, gummy bubble being blown up from her ruby-red lips. If Sylvia ever met Ellie's mother, she wouldn't have given a hoot what she thought of her. In fact, she might just relish in her disgust.

Sylvia caught Ellie staring and smiled her coy, I-know-you-inside-out smile. Ellie returned it before hurrying back to her studies.

* * *

Ellie dunked her hands into the sink, protected by a pair of sun-yellow rubber gloves. She hated washing the dishes, along with vacuuming and cleaning the toilet, all tasks she kept for last. Back home, they had a maid that came in once a week to do a thorough cleaning, but the rest was done by her mother. Mrs. Carter bought groceries, took care of her children, did the laundry, and managed to organize functions with the other neighborhood wives. Despite being upper-class, she could never shake what her own mother had taught her on running a proper house. Now it seemed it was time for Ellie to pick up the trade.

She'd have at least one maid always on duty when she got married. Then she could spend all her days giggling with her friends, or swimming in her big back-yard pool, or learning how to ride a horse around her massive lawn. Maybe she'd invite the boys over as well, when her husband was out, and they'd learn along with her. She remembered Soda having a love for horses, and she could picture Dallas getting a huge kick out of watching her struggle with getting on such an animal.

The doorbell rang, echoing throughout the house. All the doors were open to let the hot air circulate, and Ellie could hear a few voices on the front porch, as clear as the chirping birds.

"Hello," She greeted, opening the screen for Angel, Kathy, and an unfamiliar girl. "Come inside before you all burn to a crisp out there."

They filed into the hallway, spilling a little into the dining room.

"This is Sandy." Kathy introduced. Sandy was a petite little thing with big blue eyes the color of a swimming-pool and golden hair that curled oh-so-gently. "She's dating Sodapop Curtis."

What surprised Ellie was the way she dressed; it wasn't exactly the way a Soc dressed, but it certainly wasn't the way most of the greaser girls did either. Sandy dressed plainly but in a clean, modest way that belonged to richer girls.

Sandy clutched tightly to the sleeping bag in front of her. "I hope you don't mind me tagging along."

"Not at all!" Ellie exclaimed, reaching out to shake her hand. "I've been hoping to meet you, actually. Soda never shuts up about you."

"Really?" Sandy asked bashfully, "He's said quite a bit about you as well."

Ellie smiled. Despite being the prettiest in the room, it was obvious Sandy was also the most self-conscious.

"Well!" Ellie beckoned for the girls to follow her. "I don't know if we'll all fit in my room, but we can certainly try. Best to keep out of the living room for now, though. My grandmother is in a bit of a mood."

The girls paused to listen as the sound of a hand slapping against the television from a little ways down the hall.

"Grandma! You'll break it!" Ellie called out, before gesturing towards the stairs. "Up we go."

She picked up a few articles of clothing from the ground as the girls settled down around her room.

Kathy's head spun as she scanned everything. "Nice. Very _you_."

"I wish I had a room like this." Sandy sighed, "It's so pretty, and all your furniture is one color!"

Angel dived stomach first into the bed. In a muffled voice, she added, "And your bed is like a cloud."

Ellie didn't know what to say. She never really thought about how great her room was, not when she felt better in the one in Chicago. She didn't want to think of how second-rate their own rooms must have been. Comparing what she had and what her friends had only made her feel like some kind of monster.

"Well, I just cleaned it." She replied awkwardly. "Say, where is Sylvia, anyway? She's the one who organized this."

Angel turned herself around on the bed, fanning out like she was making a snow-angel in the duvet. "Late. I'd be surprised if she even shows up. Sylvia gets a little erratic post-dumping. She might have even forgotten she set this up. She could be in some boy's backseat, playing tonsil-hockey."

Ellie perched on her vanity seat. "Oh...well, I'm sure we can have some fun without her. What do you want to do?"

"Well," Kathy dumped her sleeping bag and knapsack onto the floor. "We can do make-overs, play games, talk about boys-"

Angel propped herself up and set Ellie with a mischievous smirk. "Oh la la! I want to start off talking about boys."

"Angel-" Kathy started off sternly.

"I've been hearing quite a lot about you lately, Ellie darling." Angel went on, ignoring her friend's warning look.

'Darling' was what Ellie's father called her. It didn't sound as good coming from Angel's plump, razor-teethed mouth.

"Like what?"

Angel pressed her finger against her temple as if she was in deep thought. "Just some stuff about you flirting around with a certain boy."

"Oh!" Ellie giggled, "You mean Ben?"

Her face fell in confusion. "What?"

"Who's Ben?" Sandy squealed, inching closer to Ellie in her excitement. "Is he cute? Do you have a picture?"

Ellie shook her head, a smile sliding onto her face. "I don't. But he's this boy in my History class. He's on the football team as well. Blonde, green eyes, as tall as Darry Curtis... Maybe you've seen him around?"

Sandy shook her head sadly.

"He's a Soc." Kathy supplied, sounding as if she had heard this information a dozen times.

Behind her on the bed, Angel looked a little sour. "Whats the use of going out with those sort? They're never any fun. They either act as if their entitled to all of you, or are too shy to take one bit of you."

"Ben is sweet." Ellie insisted rigidly, "And I don't mind if he doesn't want to fool around. After all, I am waiting until after marriage."

Angel let out a loud, mocking laugh. "Oh God! Good luck with that in this neighborhood!"

Ellie pouted. Speaking to Angel was like speaking to a miniature Sylvia. The only difference they seemed to have was age.

"Angel, stop being so rude." Kathy growled, elbowing her in the ribs. "If Ellie wants to stay pure, then good on her. I mean, it's a load of shit, but-"

Ellie gasped. "I thought you were on my side!"

Kathy shot her a teasing smile and Ellie couldn't help but do the same. It was a wonder how Kathy put up with Sylvia and Angel- in fact, it was a wonder any of the girls spoke to each other at all! They were all so different.

"I think she just means..." Sandy blushed prettily and smiled. "Well, you _say_ you want to wait, but when the moment comes..."

Angel swung her legs over the edge of the bed so she was sitting in between Kathy and Sandy.

"Anyway, if the rumors are true," She smirked, "You won't be waiting long before that moment arrives."

Ellie scoffed. "I've only been on one date with Ben and-"

"That's not who I'm talking about." Angel cut her off.

"Then..." Ellie looked questioningly at the girls in her room. "Then who?"

There was a moment of stillness and indecision between the four of them. Ellie glanced around the room, feeling as if she had missed something horribly important and was now being mocked for it. The longer they made her wait, the more nervous she became.

Kathy sighed a great big loud sigh. "Angel, will you please shut your trap? You'll only make things worse."

The Shepard girl shrugged and collapsed back into the bed. "Sorry, Jesus Christ. I'm just curious, okay? Don't act like you aren't either."

Ellie was just about to pester them for further explanation when her door was pushed wide open.

"Oh, glad to see you're all here." Sylvia was dressed up in a pair of tight, navy hip-huggers and a flowing blouse that -as usual- revealed far too much. She dumped her bag onto the floor. "Well, come on, get up you lazy, lazy girls. The night is young, but not for long."

Kathy crossed her arms over her chest defiantly. "Sylvia, I thought we were having a sleep-over."

Sylvia flipped her hair over her shoulder, her eyes glittering with excitement. "And we will, but later. Right now, there are more exciting things to do."

"Like what?" Angel asked, getting up. Ellie moved out of her way as she began reapplying her lipstick in the vanity mirror.

"To the Drive-in. I heard everyone is going to be there."

Now it was Kathy's turn to flash a coy smile. "Oh? Is 'everyone' code word for Dallas Winston?"

Sylvia joined Angel at the mirror, fluffing up her hair for more volume. She replied in an absent sort-of-way, "Oh, he'll be there? I hadn't heard."

Angel straightened, watching the red-head through the mirror. Ellie could see something wicked cooking in her eyes.

Sylvia caught it too. With a warning glance, she spat out, "_What_?"

"Tim told me that Dallas isn't thinking about taking you back." Angel supplied, smacking her newly painted lips. "And Tim's not very interested in you either. Look's like you'll be going at it alone for a while, Sylvia darling."

In a mess of anger, Sylvia flung her shoulder against the other girl's and Angel fell to the floor.

"Will you shut your mouth for once, Angel?" She hissed, glaring into the mirror- at her own reflection. "What does your brother know, huh? And you're only jealous 'cause I've been screwing him!"

"Please girls!" Ellie squealed nervously, edging towards Sandy, who seemed to be as distressed as she was. "You'll make my grandmother mad with all the noise!"

Angel gathered herself up from the floor and came to sit beside Kathy once more, scowling.

Sylvia collapsed dramatically on Ellie's old seat on the vanity bench. "I didn't even cheat on him this time, you know. I _didn't_."

She sounded so tiny and sad, it broke Ellie's heart in half. Yet Kathy and Angel seemed unfazed.

Sandy had the decency to reach over and pat the girl's hand. "I'm sure he'll see reason soon."

Angel snorted. "Doubt it. I heard that he'd been waiting a while for a reason to break up with you."

"Angel," Kathy tried once more to reign her friend in, "You better shut it before you get hurt."

But Angel had a snarling, beastly rage written across her face, and Sylvia looked quite the same. There was only one way to end this- Ellie just wished they'd take it outside.

"No, let her speak." Sylvia sneered, "Let's hear our little rumor mill's fantasies."

Angel smiled cruelly, reaching behind her to grab a long tendril of hair and twist it around her finger. Everything she did seemed to be apart of some play she had in her head. "Like I said, I heard he didn't care if you cheated or not, he just wanted to get rid of you. Seems as if he's set his eyes on a different girl." Angel frowned in exaggerated pity, "You're done. For good."

Sylvia grit her teeth, her hands squeezing the bench ledge so tightly Ellie thought she heard her fingers breaking.

"Who? Who is she?"

Angel leaned back on the bed again, completely exposed to Sylvia yet unafraid despite the girl's readiness to attack. "Oh, I don't know. It's just a rumor after all, darling."

Sylvia jumped from her seat and Ellie nearly screamed in fright. For a second it looked as if she was going to tear Angel into little scraps, but then she passed the girl and bolted through the door. "Hurry up!"

Both Sandy and Ellie sighed in relief, and the girls stood to comply to the red-head's command. Ellie let them go first, politely holding the door open for them.

It was only for a second, but she could swear Angel had smirked at her as she passed.

* * *

"It's so crowded today." Sandy complained as Kathy cut the engine. It had taken them a good ten minutes to find a decent place to park. Youth teemed the drive-in from corner to corner, and the cars were so packed in they had to be careful not to hit someone when they opened their doors.

The girls jumped and squealed as a hand came slapping against the passenger window.

"It's a Soc, don't open it!" Kathy stated automatically, but it was just Soda, grinning from ear, nearly shoving his nose against the glass to get a better look at them.

Ellie rolled her window down and slapped his shoulder. "You gave us a heart-attack!"

Soda winked, "Sorry Princess." Then he tugged on the back door handle and stuck his hand out for his girlfriend to grab.

"I thought you were doing a girl's night in?" He asked as he pulled her towards him.

Automatically, Sandy wrapped her arms around his neck, her smile shining as bright as the moon. "We were, but, well, Sylvia-"

"-Didn't want to sit around all night, braiding each other's hair." Sylvia interrupted quickly, shooting out of the car. She lit a smoke. "So, where's the party?"

Soda opened his mouth and then closed it, glancing at his girlfriend.

Sylvia's eyebrow shot up expectantly.

Soda sighed and gestured towards the front. "We're up a few rows."

She lead the way there, pushing people out of her way- and they parted, glaring but saying nothing at the girl who thought herself Queen of Tulsa. It was moments like these that made Ellie wonder if she hated the girl or envied her.

"Please tell me Dallas Winston isn't here." Kathy hissed quietly.

Soda grimaced, tugging Sandy tighter to his side.

Kathy crossed her arms over her chest. "Great. This is going to be a magnificent night. Why couldn't we have a quiet evening? Why can we _never_ have a quiet evening?"

"Because," Angel giggled, hooking her arm in with Kathy, looking quite unfazed by the coming storm. "You don't have tea with a rabid Tasmanian devil and not expect to get some of it spilled on your dress."

Kathy rolled her eyes. "What does that even mean?"

Ellie quickened her pace, tugging on Soda's sleeve. She felt a little weird being around the couple. When she was only with the boys, she was free to speak and act however she wanted, but with Sandy there she felt as if there should always be a fifty yard distance between Soda and herself. Ellie could see it on her face every time a girl got too close- Sandy was a mighty suspicious girl. But there was no point to it; even a blind man could see they belonged together. Watching them was like watching Elvis and Marilyn get married.

"Shouldn't we warn Dallas?" Ellie asked as Sylvia elbowed a girl so hard she nearly fell over. The girl was on a war-path.

Soda smiled in an odd, pitiful way, and ruffled her hair. "Nah. He made his bed, now he's got to lie down and let Sylvia suffocate him with a pillow."

They watched from a safe distance as Sylvia approached the group of boys. They had the Curtis' truck parked beside Two-Bit's, with Steve and Pony sitting with their backs against the cab and Johnny balanced on the side. Even Darry was there that night, laughing with Two-Bit in front of his car. They fell silent as the girl came around to them, a claw running against the truck's rusty blue paint.

"Well hello." Two-Bit grinned, looking far too excited to see her. "I'd ask what brought you here, but I think we all already know."

Sylvia smirked. In her heels, she was nearly as tall as him. "What ever are you talking about? I'm just here with the girls, trying to enjoy a movie. You don't mind if we join you, do you?"

Kathy came forward, nudging herself between the two and wrapped her arms around Two-Bit's neck. "Hey handsome."

His smile widened as he hugged her waist. "Well, if it ain't my main squeeze."

"I better be your _only_ squeeze." Kathy threatened, kissing his nose to show she was only playing around. Then she turned so that her back was pressed against his chest, his arms still around her. Glaring at Sylvia, she said, "Don't mind her. She's just looking to hook up with Dallas again."

Sylvia bared her teeth, a million threats and curses on the very edge of spilling out. But then she shut her eyes for a brief second, took a breath, and when she opened them... she was calm. Deadly angry, but calm.

Grabbing Angel by the forearm, they disappeared behind a row of cars and a smog of dust, kicked up in her stomping.

"Well, look at that." Kathy snorted, "She really is a Tasmanian devil."

Johnny and Ponyboy jumped off the side of the truck to stand next to Ellie. Usually Johnny was the one with a injury every week, but that night it was Pony with a bruise along his cheekbone.

Worriedly, Ellie grabbed his chin to get a better look. "Who gave you that?"

Pony pulled away, rubbing his bruise. "Some Soc in the bathroom at school. Gave him a matching one, though."

"You mean Two-Bit did." Johnny jested. He nudged Pony in the side and he retaliated with a head lock. In another minute, they were in a full blown tussle.

"Oh, stop it you two!" Ellie grabbed their shoulders, "You're going to hurt yourselves."

They separated with a little laugh.

"Oh, come on." Pony patted her shoulder. "We're just having fun. Tonight's going to be good- it's been ages since we all went out together."

Ellie wrapped her cardigan tighter around her frame. "Sounds more like trouble to me."

"Sorry mom." Pony rolled his eyes. "We'll be good, I swear."

She wagged a finger at him and said jokingly, "You want a matching bruise on the other side of your face, mister?"

"You're a mean mom." Pony mock pouted.

It didn't take much longer for Two-Bit to detach his face from Kathy's. Wandering over, he nudged his way between Pony and Johnny.

"Oh hey, Two-Bit." Pony greeted dryly.

Two-Bit flicked the boy's ear. "You better not be giving me attitude after I saved your weakling ass at school today."

"I _told_ you, I didn't need your help!" Pony hissed as he rubbed his stinging lobe.

Two-Bit grinned his usual Cheshire grin. "I know. I just protecting you- it makes ya' _so_ mad."

"It's embarrassing-"

"Oh come on!" Johnny groaned, "You two have been fighting for hours now! Cool it, will you?"

Two-Bit managed to ruffle Pony's hair before he could duck away. "I'm so sorry, Pony! Please forgive me!"

"I'll kill you, that's what I'll do." Pony circled around so that he was standing as far as he could get from Two-Bit. Crossing his arms over his chest, he glared from his new spot.

Two-Bit snorted. "Alright... well, anyone seen our little wounded soldier?"

Ellie blinked. "Wait, what?"

An entirely unconvincing look of guilt overcame Two-Bit.

Ellie took a step towards him in what she hoped was a menacing manner. "Are you telling me _you_ are the one who brought Dallas out here? He should be at home, sleeping and trying not to bleed to death!"

"I-" Two-Bit started.

Ellie put her hand up to silence him. Behind her, Johnny and Pony shared a look of excitement. Watching Two-Bit get told off by a girl half his size was something they would have paid to see.

"Not only that, but then you _lost _him?" Ellie cast him a disbelieving look. "He could be out there doing _gosh_ knows what- probably getting into _another_ fight and getting the job finished! I am _not _going to a funeral, Two-Bit. I don't look good in black."

The oldest boy shot his hands out in defense. "That's a bit dramatic, don't you think? He's probably not dead..."

"Yet." Ponyboy supplied.

Two-Bit blinked, ran a hand through his rusty hair, and stood up straighter. "Maybe we should look for him."

Ellie rolled her eyes. "We outta' split up. Johnny, Pony, you two should go up towards the screen and see if you can find him. Two-Bit, you go farther back. I'll check by the concession."

With a loud groan from the two younger boys, they turned for their separate paths.

"Avoid Sylvia!" Ellie hollered after them as an afterthought.

"Tonight was supposed to be fun!" Pony shouted back.

* * *

The concession stand was a squat, white building beside the entrance. An open counter stretched along the side of it, offering all kinds of treats and drinks. In front, a dozen or so rows of seats were set up for those without cars. Teens from all over Tulsa overran the area in a great flood of hormones and pimples.

Ellie walked the length of it, careful to avoid the big crowds. She had already spotted Bill and Sandra in a shiny, fast car on her way there, and she wasn't looking forward to see any more of them. It wasn't that she didn't like Socs, but for some odd reason she just didn't feel like gathering the effort she usually put into socializing with their kind. If Ellie was going to meet up with them, she wanted to be able to prepare herself first.

Sick of looking in the same places and feeling foolish for walking back and forth and back again like some girl ditched by her boyfriend, Ellie stuck herself in the concession line. Maybe Dally had gone home, she suggested to herself. Or perhaps he just didn't want to be found. _Or_ he was getting into a fight right that minute.

She stepped out of the line in a huff. If that hot-head re-opened his wound, she was going to drag him by his _ear_ to the hospital.

Making another round of the stand, Ellie stopped at the very end, staring into the dark alley between the concession and the washroom. If there was any a place to hide a glowering, rude, selfish boy, it was there, hiding in the darkness with his equally suspicious friends. She had walked past it a dozen or so times, and each time she couldn't find the courage to venture in alone.

Ellie breathed loudly from her nose, taking a step in before taking it back. Just looking inside that deep, black hole made the hair on her arms stand.

There was a flash of silver-

"Dally!" Ellie cried, running forward. There was another flash of light, further in, and she followed it, only pausing when it disappeared again.

"Dallas?" Ellie whimpered into the dark. It was colder in there, far away from the strong, warm lights in front the concession counter. Even the moon and stars hid from her, allowing only a sliver of sky to be seen between buildings. It smelt like damp mud and the ground crunched like discarded popcorn.

She was acting crazy. No one was there; her mind had played a trick. She turned and started back towards the hustle and bustle of the main area.

A hand curled tightly around her wrist. Ellie screamed, and another shot up to cover her mouth. She tried to shout and twist out of his grip, but the hand on her arm let go only to curl around her waist and pull her closer.

"Jesus, shut up will you?" Dallas hissed in her ear, "Someone'll think i'm tryn'a murder you back here."

Ellie's knees went weak, and she would have fallen to the ground if he hadn't been holding her up. A choked, relieved gasp fell from her throat, hot tears falling down her cheeks and onto his hand, still covering her mouth.

Dallas flinched against her. "Hey, shit... are you crying?"

He twisted her around so that she was facing him. Ellie dropped her head on his shoulder, trying to gather her wits, but he gripped her chin and tugged her face up to his.

Dally thumbed away a tear. "What the hell, girly, I was only kidding around."

"Well it wasn't funny!" She finally managed to say, shoving him away. "I really thought someone was going to do horrible things to me!"

He smirked, pulling out a smoke and a lighter. Ellie wanted to take it and set him ablaze.

"No ones going to do anything to you." Dallas snorted, "Calm down."

"Calm down? Calm down?" She shoved him again. "You don't know what it's like! I'm not like you, Dallas! I can't just get into a bind and fight my way out of it! I don't have any way of protecting myself! If you really had been an attacker, I wouldn't have been able to do anything! You don't know what that's like, being so vulnerable!" And again she shoved him, just for emphasis.

Dallas grabbed her shoulders to hold her still. As he spoke, his cigarette bobbed up and down. "Listen here you crazy bat, you aren't ever going to be attacked, so cool it, will you?"

"You don't know that." She sniffed.

"But I do. You have a handful of boys following you around like they're sheep and you're Mary Bo Peep. Any idiot who even thinks of touching you is going to have to go through the gang first." Dallas brushed her leftover tears away, rougher than she would have liked. "So quit the waterworks, Princess. You're making me feel shitty."

Ellie pulled herself away and wiped the rest of her face clean. "You _should_ feel bad. I've been searching for you for nearly an hour. You shouldn't be wandering around alone with your condition."

Dallas shrugged.

"Fine." She rolled her eyes, crossed her arms over her chest, and turned from him. "I'm going back to enjoy the movie. You know, Sylvia's looking for you."

"I know." Dally grabbed her wrist again, gentler, and tugged her farther into the darkness. "I saw the red hair from a mile away."

"And you ran?" Ellie smiled, "Are you scared of her?"

Dallas' famous scowl graced his face. She could always count on herself to bring out his worst moods. "Fuck no, I ain't scared of her-"

"Because Dallas Winston is afraid of nothing, right?"

He let go of her. "I'm avoiding Sylvia because I can't stand you girls. All you ever do is scream and scream, and I can't even hit you to shut you up."

Ellie's smile dropped. Maybe it was because of how honest he had sounded, but she was, for the first time, frightened of what he could do.

"I'm surprised you wouldn't!" She cried, but what she really wanted to ask was 'would you?'

Dally laughed loudly and the villainous sound of it fit perfectly in their dark little hide-out.

"Of _course_." He grumbled, fading further and further into the darkness, until nothing left could be seen of him except for his silvery gold hair.

Ellie gulped and chased after him. "Wait!"

He was standing by the back wall of the concession, his foot propped on a tall metal ladder running up the side. He waved his hand. "Go away, will you?"

Her courage deflated a little at the look he gave her. Biting her lip, she muttered quietly, "I'm sorry. Really."

"I don't need an apology." He stuck his cigarette between his lips and started climbing. In a few seconds he was up the wall and out of sight.

Again, Ellie followed him. The ladder was thin and slippery, allowing very little leverage. She slipped on the second step, and once more when she was almost at the top, though a firm grasp on the edge of the roof managed to keep her from plummeting to her death.

Dallas was standing in the middle when she got up. He had his back to her, smoking silently as he took in the view. Ellie crept past him, towards the verge of roof and thin air. The whole screen loomed in front of them, so close that the dancing hot-dog in an advertisement was the size of a bus. And just past it, Ellie could see slivers of the city, gleaming with it's millions of tiny window lights. Down below, the whole Drive-In could be seen.

"Hey, I can spot everyone from up here!" Ellie giggled, pointing out into the ocean of people. Almost right in the middle of the crowd and cars, Johnny, Ponyboy, Steve, and Darry were huddling in the back of the truck while the couples had found their own little areas alone. Ellie put a hand on her hip. Those jerks were supposed to be looking for Dallas.

"Get away from there." He grabbed the back of her blouse and tugged. "You're going to ruin my favorite spot if someone sees you."

Dallas made himself comfortable a few meters from the ledge, his legs bending in front of him, his arms resting on his knees. Ellie sat down beside him. The floor of the roof was rough and still hot from the afternoon sun, but the view had made it worth while.

"Is this where you've been this whole time?"

He shrugged.

"Are you still mad at me?" Ellie asked, twisting around him so that she was in his line of vision. "I'm _sorry_!"

He shook his head. "You'll have to try harder than that."

She retracted and thought. Then, she moved so that her back was facing the screen. Grabbing his closest knee and hugging it to her side, Ellie begged in her most girlish, heartfelt voice, "Oh, please Dallas, please except my apology! I don't think I could bare the thought of someone so dashing and noble as you, _despising_ me!"

She pouted at his silence, adding, "It'd just _break_ my _heart_, honestly."

He glared at her, but she could see him easing up underneath his thick mask.

"Well," Ellie sighed, making to stand, "I tried. I guess I'll leave you to your lonesome."

Dally's hand shot out and grabbed her hip, keeping her in place. Had a rare, amiable expression that she had only ever seen once or twice, reserved for his very closest friends. It was brilliant to see, like an eclipse, and she couldn't stop from staring.

"You might as well stay." He said, "The movie's about to start."

Ellie nodded dumbly and sat back down, tucking her legs in at her side while his hand lingered on her. Without the ability to compose herself, she could do nothing but turn red and hope he didn't notice the goosebumps erupting on her skin. It was easier to breath when they were fighting. But when he played nice she found herself feeling as if there was a squeal trapped in her throat, clogging up all her words.

It was a relief when the movie started; _The Beach girls and the Monster_ crept onto the screen, and the buzz of kids faded a notch. Only half of them had come for the film, after all.

Yet the new found distraction couldn't hold her attention. Not when she could feel his fingers brushing aside the fabric of her blouse to stroke the vulnerable skin underneath. Ellie shut her eyes and swallowed. The touch was so lazy she couldn't tell if he was doing intentionally or not. But he _must_ have known- he had done the very same thing that day when he had taken her out on Ruby!

"Are you scared already?" Dally whispered by her ear. "It's hardly started."

Ellie opened her eyes and stared hard at the screen. "I-I'm bad with anticipation."

Dallas rolled his eyes. "If you don't like scary movies, why'd you bother coming?"

"It wasn't my choice." Ellie explained, "Your girlfriend forced me to have a sleep over with a few girls. And then she forced me to come here so she could hunt you down under the pretense of a girl's night."

His fingers stilled against her skin.

"For one, that bitch isn't my girlfriend. Not anymore." Dallas growled, "And you know, you can say no to her at any time. She doesn't own you."

Ellie smiled. "Someone should tell her that. What was your sudden change in heart, anyway? From what I heard, you never really cared about what she did until now."

Dally's hand left her side to snub his cigarette and extract a new one. "Yeah, well, one day I woke up and realized her bullshit outweighed her looks."

There was an ache in Ellie's chest that told her to just shut her mouth and never speak a word of Sylvia ever again, but her mouth just kept moving and moving. "She said she didn't do anything this time, you know."

"Jesus, Ellie!" Dallas snapped, "Can't you tell I don't want to fucking talk about her? I don't fucking care if she did or didn't. I don't want her anymore, alright?"

Ellie nudged his shoulder playfully. "Are you telling that in the three years you two dated, you suddenly don't have feelings for her anymore?"

He took a long drag of his cigarette, as unreadable as ever. There always seemed to be a million thoughts racing through his head at all times, almost all of them never spoken, and far too out of reach for her to guess. But it didn't stop her from trying; she wanted to know everything. She wanted to know every single detail of his past, every worry and joy he felt at the present, and every dream he had for the future. Yet whenever she felt as if she was closing in on an answer, he would snatch it right back.

He exhaled, and the smoke that lapped out of his mouth danced in the black and white light of the screen. "I don't have feelings about anyone."

"That's not true." She tugged at his sleeve and he turned down so their eyes met. "You love those boys down there, I know that."

He didn't say anything. After a moment, Ellie sat up and tugged at his sleeve again.

"Let me see it- your cut." She insisted, "I haven't checked on it for a week."

Dally shifted out of her grip. "It's fine."

Ellie got up on her knees, facing him. "You said you didn't want to talk about Sylvia! So let me see it or I can give you a word for word enactment of the post-breakup fit she had in my bedroom!"

Grumbling to himself, Dallas tugged off his shirt. "Hurry up, will you? It's cold out."

Ellie giggled as her fingers began the delicate process of pulling his bandage back. "Actually, I think you would enjoy hearing it. Angel and Sylvia nearly tore into each other. All I could think of was how I was going to get the blood out of my carpet."

Dallas grinned. "Angel has hated Sylvia since elementary school."

Glancing up at him in curiosity, she asked, "Then why are they still friends?"

"Same reason _you're_ friends with her." Dally shrugged, "Same reason I dated her for so long."

His wound was pink and a bit swollen, but it didn't look as if it might become infected. Her eyes traced the little crisscross of Soda's home-made stitches. It was messily done, but effective. It would cause an ugly scar, however. If she had just been strong enough to do it herself, maybe she could have saved him that.

Ellie covered the cut again and watched Dallas struggle to put his shirt on. She said nothing about it, but made sure to be gentle when she curled back into him. Almost instantly, his hand wandered back to her side. There was no denying it now; he was doing it _intentionally. _Every inch of her buzzed with the thrill of it and her heart thrummed with the hope that perhaps he wanted her just as much as she wanted him. A pleased smile tickled the edge of her lips and a giggle threatened to slip through. She couldn't remember the last time she had felt so happy.

They watched as the sea-weed monster managed to snag a scantily-clad girl on the screen. Ellie burrowed further into him, her fingers tentatively reaching for the fabric of his shirt, hoping he'd mistake her craving of his warmth for fear. Though a million 'what-if's and 'but's scampered across her mind, she felt _right _sitting beside him. As if she had been waiting and waiting and waiting and had finally gotten what she had wanted. Now all she had to do was reach out and take it- if only she could stop her hands from shaking.

He snorted. "You aren't actually scared, are you?"

"No..."

"Bullshit." He sang, his voice husky with laughter.

"It's not!" Ellie sniffed, "I just... didn't think I'd actually be watching the movie, that's all."

Dally tore away from the screen to stare skeptically down at her. "What did you expect to be doing? Am I holding you back from some back-seat hook up with your boyfriend?"

"Boyfriend?"

"The Soc." Dallas deadpanned.

Ellie tore away, stinging with... shame. She had forgotten.

It should be Ben touching her the way Dallas had, with his fingers creeping under her blouse. It should be Ben that she shook for- Ben who she should feel _right_ with. But he wasn't, and she couldn't understand why. He made her happy, didn't he? He made her smile, and blush, and he made her dream of weddings and babies and white picket-fences. All Dallas did was make her feel frustrated... in more ways than one.

"His name is Ben." She retaliated, "And I wouldn't do any 'back-seat hook up's with anyone, thank you very much. Especially not with Ben. We haven't even kissed."

Dallas laughed fully- as if he hadn't been in a rotten mood five seconds ago. "You're kidding!"

Ellie glared. "No, I'm not."

"What's wrong with you?" He asked.

"I'll let you know when I find out!" Ellie cried, nearly ready to storm off. Then she took a long, deep breath and started again in a quiet, defeated tone, "I don't know... I mean, I think he tried after our date, but... we got interrupted by my grandmother."

Dallas leaned back, a shit-eating grin glued to his face. "Huh. I'm liking your granny more and more each day."

"You're taking _way_ too much enjoyment from this." Ellie turned back to the screen. "Actually, I think I'm sort of glad she did."

"Why?" Dallas asked, finishing off his cigarette and lighting _another_. It must have been his fourth since she had met up with him.

Ellie shrugged. "I have this sort of... idea in my head of what the perfect kiss would be."

"I've _got_ to hear this." Dallas insisted.

She wagged a finger at him. "You better not tell a soul!"

"I swear on all my honor." He drawled.

"Well," Ellie started, just as the seaweed monster snagged another girl. "It's not anything elaborate, really. I just want him to take me on a standard, cliche date. Dinner, movie, and then he'd... well, he'd walk me to my door, take my hand, and... kiss me. But it _has_ to be at my doorstep, and he has to be _confident_ about it, you know? Like he knows what he's doing and what he wants." She blushed and ducked her head, "I can't believe I told you that."

Dallas was quiet for a moment, staring hard at her. Then he tipped his head back and laughed again.

Ellie stood up, furious, and stormed towards the edge of the building where the ladder waited. "Just because I actually want something to be beautiful and perfect in my life doesn't mean I should be laughed at!"

* * *

He caught her mid-way through the crowd of cars and teenagers.

"Hey, hey..." He grabbed her wrist but didn't tug at it. "Where are you going?"

Ellie avoided his gaze, walking quickly towards where she had last left the gang. "I'm finding Sylvia so she can take me home."

"No you aren't." Dallas insisted, "We're not going near the bitch when she has it out for me."

"Then don't come!" Ellie cried in frustration, trying to twist her arm out of his grasp.

He held on tighter, dragging both of them to a full stop.

"What is wrong with you, huh?" Anger rose like fire, flickering in his face. "Jesus, since when have you been so sensitive? Who cares if I laughed at your little fucking dream? It was fucking stupid!"

That was all Ellie could take from him; tears began to swell in her eyes, spilling down her cheeks. She wanted to tell him to let go over her, but when she opened her mouth only a loud, shameful sob came out.

Dally's face fell and his anger faded away. The expression he donned then wasn't exactly remorseful, but that of a child being told off for doing something he didn't know was wrong.

"Hey..." He let go of her and stood back. "Stop crying, alright? Fuck, this is the second time tonight. You're making me look like an asshole."

"You are one!" Ellie hiccuped, wiping furiously at her face. But no matter how many times she swiped a tear away, another one replaced it just as quickly.

But Dallas wasn't looking at her anymore. Something past her head had grabbed his attention- it was Angel, coyly wiggling her fingers at them as she and Sylvia passed only a few cars away.

"Come on." Dallas grabbed Ellie's shoulder and quickly steered her away.

"I-I just want to go home, Dallas." She begged, dragging her feet. "Just let me go get a ride home."

His hand traveled down until he was holding her wrist- again. "I'll drive you, alright? I just want to get out of here before she spots me."

He kept ahead of her as they weaved through crowds and cars, leading them to some far off corner. Ellie stared at his fingers and wondered if that would be the closest she'd ever get to holding Dallas Winston's hand. She was so _mad_ at him... yet every time he touched her or looked at her, or showed any kind of attention towards her at all, she couldn't help but forgive him.

'_What is wrong with me?_' She asked herself, '_Am I crazy?_'

She knew if it had been anyone else, she would have torn away and went off to cry on someone's shoulder, cursing his name and hoping she never saw his face again.

With one, last, helpless sigh, Ellie stopped resisting and edged closer until their shoulders bumped together.

"Don't make me cry again." She told him.

His thumb ran across the backside of her hand. "I'm not making any promises."

Dallas steered her farther and farther from the shifting lights of the screen, the screams of murdered women and the groan of one sea-monster fading until it was almost inaudible. There, almost to the end of the lot, a handful of cars sat by their lonesome, surrounded by their owners: a bunch of Greaser boys and girls. Dallas seemed to know most of them, judging by the rather warm greeting he received.

"Well, well." A tall, scrawny kid with a buzz-cut stood up from the hood of his black, souped up vehicle and slapped Dallas on the back as they tried to pass. "How're you doing, Buddy-Boy?"

Dallas, clutching the shoulder closest to his wound, managed a scowl through his hammering pain.

"Fuck off, Jacob." He spat, "If you think I can't kick your ass right now, I'd be glad to prove you wrong."

Ellie placed her free hand on Dally's forearm in warning. Despite whatever facade he put up, she could see every movement he made put him through hell. There was no way she was going to just stand by and let him get into even more trouble.

It was then that she spotted Tim Shepard, hands on a girl's hips as she sat at the edge of his pickup's tailgate. Though Ellie had only seen him once, months and months ago, his face was unmistakable. He had the same viscous, animistic face and sooty black hair as Angel, but it was the long, crooked scar that terrified her.

"Dallas," She whispered, as they ventured closer. "Dallas, what are you _doing_?"

"You wanted a ride, didn't you?" He let go of her wrist to swing an arm around her shoulders. She nearly dropped under his weight. To an outsider, it might seem as if he was being possessive, but Ellie could feel him drag his feet and hiss with every step. He was leaning on her for support.

One of Tim's friends nudged his shoulder and Tim turned around to watch them approach, a horrible smile curling at his lips.

"This is _insane_!" Ellie wanted to turn around and run away, but it was far too late. They were already deep inside the gathering of Shepard's gang. "I swear, if you get hurt-"

"Dallas Winston!" Tim Shepard stepped forward and slugged Dallas on the arm. "Risen from the dead, I see. You look like shit, though."

Dallas grit his teeth. Blood was starting so speckle through his bandage and into his t-shirt, but neither boy seemed to notice.

"No thanks to you."

Tim paused to light a cigarette, still smiling to himself. "Man, I thought I was going to ditch town after that. You were bleeding like a gutted fish."

His gaze shifted down to Ellie. "Well hello. Don't you look as pretty as a peach."

She inched closer to Dally's side. Quietly, she mumbled a hesitant, "Hi."

Tim's grin widened. "Don't be so shy, girly. We've met before, if you remember."

Ellie nodded, "I remember."

"So reserved..." He let out a cloud of smoke. "Typical of a Soc, though. But I guess Dallas always did like bitches."

Disappointment flashed across Tim's face as Dallas remained as stoic as ever. He was obviously a kid who liked to get reactions out of people for kicks. Dallas seemed to know this well.

"Lemme borrow your car, will you?" He asked casually. "I'll bring it around your house tomorrow morning."

Tim snorted. "No way."

Dallas re-adjusted himself so he stood taller. "Gimme your car, fuck-head."

"Only because you begged." Tim rolled his eyes and dug out some keys from his pocket. "If i see one fucking scratch on my baby, I really will slice your heart out, ya' hear?"

"That's not funny. You _stabbed_ him." Ellie cried nervously, a little hurt about being called a bitch. She remembered that day, and it hadn't been a joke when Dallas almost bled to death under her care. Throughout the night she had to shake him awake, scared he had died in his sleep. It hadn't been humorous then and watching them talk like everything was fine made Ellie want to... to... scream! Did they have no respect or concern for themselves?

Dallas shot her a look as he took the keys, silently telling her to shut her mouth.

"He pulled out his blade first." Tim defended easily. "It's not my fault your precious, innocent baby likes fighting with weapons. Half the fucking scars on my body are from him."

"Come on." Dallas pulled her past Tim, towards the truck but he wasn't quick enough.

"Anyway, he took that knifing for you." Tim drawled, staring so pointedly at Ellie that she felt as if he knew every secret she had ever held in her heart.

He turned to the girl on his truck bed and pulled her off. She stumbled, out of her mind on booze and whatever else Tim had fed her. Despite not knowing the girl, Ellie felt a need to take her home, away from the gang of boys and far, far away from Tim Shepard.

"Come on." Dallas repeated, and he dragged her away, his heavy arm bearing down on her and removing any chance at resistance. Wrenching the door open, she stood there quietly, surrounded by strangers, as he moved to the driver's side.

Dallas stuck the key in the ignition and stared at her. "What are you waiting for? Get in."

Ellie bit her lip. She felt as if she was on the edge of a cliff; in front of her was nothing but steep, black, darkness. If she stepped forward, there was no telling where she would go- whether she would fly into the clouds, or sink far down below. Yet the darkness seemed so enticing... perhaps she would find something worth while in it's depths. Or perhaps there was nothing waiting for her at all.

Yet she knew she couldn't stay on solid ground forever.

Dallas turned the key and the engine roared to life. Irritated, he gave her one last chance. "You want to get out of here or what?"

"Go on." Tim gave her a little push, still smiling. "He doesn't bite as hard as I do."

She crawled into the empty seat and slammed the door behind her, heart hammering and feeling as if she had made the biggest decision in her life.

Elvis played quietly on the radio as they sped down the empty street away from the Drive-In.

Eventually, Dally's stony silence made Ellie feel compelled to say something- anything at all.

"You bled through your bandage."

He rummaged through his pockets and produced his pack of cigarettes.

Ellie stole it out of his hand. "You're chain-smoking, Dallas."

He snatched them right back, angry. "What's it to you?"

"You should be watching you're health right now." She insisted, "You're already in bad shape and smoking isn't going to help-"

"It certainly isn't making it worse." Dallas grumbled, sticking a cigarette in his mouth, "I feel like shit, okay? So just let me have my fucking cigarettes."

Ellie softened. "You should have said something... I _told_ Two-Bit it was a bad idea to let you out tonight."

Dallas chewed on his unlit smoke and stared down the road ahead. She loved watching him drive. One hand posed lazily at the top of the steering wheel and the other draped along the ledge of his window, packet still clutched in his fingers- he looked so relaxed, despite his speeding and general disregard for road signs.

"Slow down." She said automatically.

Dallas threw his packet onto the dashboard. "What's up with you, huh?"

Ellie swallowed loudly. "What do you mean?"

"I mean _this_-" He shrugged. "Are you try'na pick a fight or something?"

"No!" Ellie's hand reached out towards him, then hesitated in mid-air. "I'm just worried about you, that's all..."

Dallas glared. "Well, don't."

"It's hard not to be." Ellie admitted, "Every day there seems to be a new horror story with you as the main event."

She turned back so she was facing the front. The road seemed to stretch on for forever; the only thing she could see was the beginnings of driveways separated by patches of green lawn.

Eventually, she worked up the nerve to ask, "What were you two fighting about, anyway? I mean, you and Tim Shepard..."

Dallas pulled the cigarette from his mouth. "Sylvia."

"He said..." Ellie sunk in her seat and picked at the edge of her dress. She had been freezing all night, but only then had she realized it. "Back there, he said-"

"I know what he said." Dallas ground out, "Shepard says a lot of things to get people riled up. Almost none of it is ever true."

"So you didn't get..." She waved vaguely towards his chest, "-That, because of me?"

Dallas glanced down. His bandage was soaked through and blood was making a morbid trail down his shirt. "No."

She nodded. "Then I'm glad."

"What about that- back there..." Now it was Dally's turn to question her. "When I asked you to get in the car? You hesitated... Are you scared or something?"

"No!" Ellie cried, "No, of course not!"

"Well you fucking should be." Dallas grumble moodily, sticking his cigarette back in his mouth so he could put a hand over his cut. The sting was getting worse. "'Cause I hate to burst your bubble, kid, but I _don't_ have good intentions."

She couldn't help but smile, though it never quite reached her eyes. "I know... I know, and I still got in the truck with you, didn't I?"

Dallas turned to look at her once more, but instead of glaring, his eyes were churning with curiosity.

Ellie sighed and sat up. "We better patch you up again."

* * *

**TO BE CONTINUED...**

**DUN-DUN-DUUN.**

**Wuddup? Yes, I know, I am a shitty updater. I apologize for the millionth time. I work a lot and I also live a lot... but good news! I'm going to start writing at least half an hour each day so lets hope shit gets done quicker that way! :)**

**Anyway! How was the chapter? I know I kind of left it in a shitty place but I just wanted to give you guys _something_ to hold you off for now. Next chapter will be fantastic in regards to Dallas/Ellie. You shall see. I'm sorry I made Dallas such a colossal dick btw. I kind of don't mean to make him that was but I guess it's just that if Dallas Winston was a real person he really would be a colossal dick and I don't know how to make him nice :( But next chapter he will be a good boy. Sort of. For the most part.**

**Anyway! Sorry, I know this is probably not the best written chapter...**

_**Thank you so much to my faithful and loyal reviewers and followers! And welcome to those who just started reading! You are all fab!**_

**I can't believe you guys stick with my story even though I make you wait a month for each chapter! I honestly wish I could write more and write better for you but alas! I am a shit-hole! For being such good followers, I'll give you a hint for next chapter... ;_*_**

**_LOVE YOU ALL!_**


	15. The Violet Hour

15.

Dallas snubbed his cigarette on the crooked side table. He wanted to start on another, but Ellie had strategically placed herself between him and his packet on the coffee table. She had insisted on making a pit-stop at his place to re-do his dressings and he found himself more than glad to comply. If anything, he was saving himself another thirty minutes of driving.

She glanced up at him, a wet rag hovering over his wound. "Don't even think about it."

Dallas cracked a smile. She should have known by then that he _loved _going against her. The sudden movement made her jump, but there was no time to get out of the way as he leaned forward, his shoulders pressed against hers, his chin resting briefly on her shoulder. When he retracted, his pack was in his hand and a new cigarette bobbed up and down in his mouth.

"You're doing this on purpose, aren't you?" Ellie went back to dabbing away the excess blood on his cut. The faint, girlish pink that had spread over her face when he had taken off his shirt was staring to turn a more violent shade of red.

Dallas shrugged. "What?"

"You know what." She answered with a tender smile. Every touch of cloth to Dally's chest sent spasms of pain down his spine, but it didn't seem to bug him as much as it did before. Admittedly, he rather liked all the pampering and care Ellie gave him. He should get hurt more often.

Ellie picked up the fresh bandage he had dug out from above the fridge and placed it over his cut. Holding it against him with one finger, she pulled her pre-cut strips of medical tape from the edge of the table to hold the bandage in place.

"You know what I was thinking?" She said absentmindedly, " I was thinking that you're probably the only boy I've ever actually argued with."

Dallas tipped his head back and blew his smoke up towards the ceiling. "Is that so? What do you do when some guy pisses you off then?"

"Oh, Dallas..." Ellie giggled, putting her final touches on his bandage. "You're the _only_ boy that pisses me off."

"Well, aren't I special." Dally snorted, passing her his cigarette. She took it skeptically, leaning back to watch him throw his t-shirt back on. He nudged his head towards the smoke. "You want one?"

She eyed the thing, held like a squirming bug between her thumb and index. Dallas reached out and re-positioned her fingers so that she held it properly.

"Well, go on." He prompted.

Ellie thought about it for another moment before she passed it back to him. "I don't smoke."

Dallas stuck the cigarette back between his lips, strangely relieved. Half of him wanted to push her into doing it- to just fucking do _something_ so that for once she wasn't a high-class good girl Soc and he could feel as if they were on more even ground. His other half felt sick at the thought of tainting her.

"You're driving me nuts." Dallas said without thinking. "Fucking bat-shit crazy, Ellie."

She stared at him with her wide, grey eyes. In that particular light, they looked nearly transparent. Every emotion she felt was there, fluttering around like the white flakes in a snow-globe.

"Sorry." Ellie replied quietly.

He wanted to kiss her then. Every part of him itched for her. He wanted to know how her hair felt like in his hands and how the pads of her fingers felt running along his skin. He wanted to consume her warmth, taste the sweetness of her lips, feel her heartbeat pound in time with his. He fucking craved her like a man on fire craved water.

He told himself to lean in but instead he could only ask, "Are you hungry?"

Oblivious to his struggles, Ellie balled up his bloody bandages and nodded. "Always."

Dallas stood up with a tired groan and led her to his kitchen. It was dark and smelled faintly of garbage, but Buck had done some grocery shopping so at least they were well supplied in t.v. dinners and raw steak- the steak he was forbidden to even breath on.

Ellie threw out the bandages before hiking up onto the counter. She watched as he strolled around the kitchen, looking for something suitable.

"Pancakes?" He suggested, pulling out a half crushed box of Aunt Jemima's from a cupboard by the fridge. It occurred to him then -staring at his crappy, empty kitchen- just how poor he was. Ellie probably thought he was pathetic... and she probably had never even eaten a pancake out of a box.

But she smiled agreeably and nodded, her feet tapping against the cabinet underneath. "Do you want me to make it?"

"Nah..." He shook his head and a few tendrils of blonde hair dropped into his eyes. "Aunt Jemima's is my specialty."

"Is it now?" She giggled, her eyebrows raised at him.

Dallas took what looked to be a clean bowl from the dish-rack and let it sit on the counter beside Ellie. Putting a hand on his chest earnestly, he told her, "You'll never find a man that followed the instructions on the box as well as I do."

Her giggles became louder. Dallas liked the way she laughed- it was high and feminine but genuine.

"Well then," Ellie's hand crept over to hold the bowl still as he poured the powder. "I guess the lucky girl who gets to marry you is going to be in for a lot of delicious breakfasts."

Smirking, Dallas brought his face inches from Ellie's. Her eyes widened in surprise and a barely audible gasp escaped through her parted lips.

"I know it'll be hard..." He whispered in a thick, gravelly voice, "But try not to be jealous of her."

She huffed and slapped his chest, nearly sending the bowl in his hand flying.

"Please!" She cried, hopping off the counter and following him to the sink. "Jealous? I should say the same thing to you! You can't even _say_ Ben's name-"

Dallas froze in the process of adding water to the mix. He felt numb everywhere but in his chest, where the ever-present anger boiled and bubbled until it was nearly unmanageable. Throwing the bowl onto the counter, he turned and grabbed Ellie's chin in his rough fingers.

"Enough of him." Dallas barked, tipping her head up so that she was forced to look at him. "I don't ever want to hear that name again."

They stood still, suspended for a few breathless moments. Ellie was staring up at him, her doe-eyes glazed over with a million and one thoughts. Slowly and unconsciously, she gave her lower lip a tentative nibble and Dallas couldn't help but turn his glare towards it.

He jolted in shock as the tips of her mouth curved into a coy smile.

"You _are_ jealous." Ellie purred, another giggle escaping her. In a shy, hesitant manner, she reached out and placed a hand on his chest. He thought she'd push him away, but then her fingers curled into the fabric of his shirt and it became clear that she was trying to _encourage_ him.

Dally's gaze darted back down to her mouth. Her lips were the color of cotton candy, soft and plush. Without thinking, his thumb crept up and brushed the edge of her lower lip and the warm skin under it.

He couldn't stop himself anymore. Dipping down, he let his eyes drift shut as their mouths came within an inch of each other. He could taste her gasping breaths and feel the pounding of her heart in his fingers. Just a little closer and he could finally get what he wanted. Ellie would be his- every time she bit her lip, or smiled, or tucked her hair behind her ear, or spoke in that girlish voice, it would all be for Dally. It would all be his and he wouldn't have to go around worrying about some other piece-of-shit trying to take what belonged to him and ruin it.

Dallas reared back and Ellie awoke from her trance in a flash of surprise.

"Dally?" She whispered, her hand still hovering in the air between them.

He turned back to the bowl of pancake mix and water. The batter was lumpy and needed stirring.

"Sit down at the table. It'll only take me a few more minutes." He grumbled, rummaging through a drawer in search of a fork.

He couldn't bare to look at her as she walked past him. He kept his head to his task instead, suddenly overly interested in it's perfect consistency.

Pouring a blotch of batter into the pan, he left it to cook in search of a spatula. If they actually owned one, he wasn't very sure.

"You're going to burn it." Ellie commented to his turned back.

Dallas checked a series of drawers by the fridge without any luck. He shot her a scowl as he straightened. "No I won't, shut up."

She rolled her eyes and entwined her fingers together on the table expectantly.

After another minute of searching, Dallas finally found what was something akin to a spatula buried behind a tower of old pots. He half expected it to be unwashed and dirty, but the thing looked as if it had never even been used before. Turning back to the stove, he tried to wedge the spatula between the pan and pancake, but it wouldn't budge.

"Shit..." He grumbled to himself. He tried again, this time with force, and the whole thing squished together, revealing a bit of blackened underside.

Ellie's laughter trickled throughout the room. "You burnt it."

Dallas hunched, angrily scraping at his mess. "Shut the hell up. I like my pancakes crispy."

He felt her hand on his bicep. Ellie had stood up and was pushing him over so that she was standing in front of the burner.

"Let me do it." She insisted. Picking up the pan in one hand and the spatula in another, she scraped the remnants of the pancake into the garbage under the sink. Then she put it back on the burner and gave him a gentle nudge. "Go get the butter."

With a sulking frown, Dallas did as he was told. Ellie took the stick from him and carved a dollop out and let it sizzle in the empty pan.

"You're supposed to put butter down first, so that it doesn't stick to the bottom." She explained as she poured a perfect circle of batter.

Dally's scowl deepened. "It doesn't say that on the box."

"Actually, it does."

"Whatever." Dallas scratched the spatula out of her hands and bumped his hip against hers to shove her out of the way. "Lemme do it."

Ellie scoffed but allowed him to take over. Scrambling back onto the counter beside the stove, she said, "For someone who's an Aunt Jemima's expert, you're pretty bad at this."

"Yeah, well..." Dallas shot her a cocky look and opened his mouth hoping something smart would come out. "...Shut up."

After his fourth attempt his pancakes had become edible, though the shapes were somewhat questionable.

Ellie watched him pour another round of batter into the pan. "Are you even _trying_ to make them round?"

"Actually, no." He admitted with a smirk, "This one's a 'D' for Dallas."

She stared. "It looks like a pear."

"_You _look like a pear."

"Just..." Ellie inched closer to the stove. "Lemme do it?"

Glaring playfully, Dallas maneuvered himself so that his shoulder was blocking her from the pan. "No, you control-freak."

"I'm not a control-freak!" She retorted. She grabbed his arm with both hands and tried to shove him away. "I just like my pancakes round!"

Dallas nearly dropped the pancake as he flipped it. "Quit it, will you? Go get some plates."

"...Fine!" With an excessive pout, Ellie dropped down and made her way to the sink. Grabbing the cleanest plates from the dish-rack, she wandered over and set them by the stove before crawling back onto her seat.

Dallas took his 'D' pancake and dropped it on a plate. Then he took the bowl of batter and started forming something new.

Ellie watched him closely. "What's that now?"

"It's an 'E', you crazy broad." Dallas muttered distractedly as he tried to form the lines without letting them touch.

She tilted her head curiously. "It looks like an elephant."

In a flash of annoyance and humor, Dallas took the batter drenched fork he had used and flicked it at her, sending ribbons of yellow-white paste across her face and hair.

Ellie's mouth dropped open. They stared at each other. In the next second, Dallas began to cackle wildly.

He felt rather than saw a thick substance oozing into his hair. Holding it over him, Ellie had the bowl in her hand and was letting the leftover batter dribble out. He could feel it running down the nape of his neck and tickling him just behind the ears.

Ellie's free hand flew to her mouth, eyes wide. Though her voice was muffled, he heard a distinct, "Sorry!"

It was only then that he realized he was scowling at her. He left his face soften into a smile; for some reason he was more entertained than mad.

"I'm going to get you." He said, knowing his pleasant expression had only made the words sound eerie.

Nervous, Ellie backed up so that her head touched the cupboard behind her, legs curling up to her chest. "Please-"

Knowing he was utterly sick for it, Dallas couldn't help but feel a bit turned on at the sight of her cowering beneath him. He crept closer until he hit the edge of counter, grabbing her ankles and pulling so that her legs spread out on either side of him. Ellie's face turned bright red and he let a lazy smirk roll across his face.

"No one-" He started, very consciously placing his hands on her thighs, just above her knee-caps. "-messes with Dallas Winston and gets away with it."

He felt her legs dig into his side, an automatic response to her years brought up as a lady. This was probably the first time they had ever been spread. Dallas relished in that thought as well.

He was going to the deepest parts of hell and he knew it.

"What are you going to do with me?" She whimpered. She had her hands clutched together by her collarbone.

Dallas thought for a moment. Among _other things_, he wanted to finally fucking kiss her- but that was a given. He wasn't going to whimp out this time. Fuck Johnny, fuck the gang, fuck her dad, hell, fuck everone in the world! Just because he was a going-nowhere piece of trash didn't mean he couldn't have one nice thing. And if she wanted him too, then who was to stop them?

"Get up." He told her. Ellie blinked like a deer caught in headlights.

"Huh?" She asked, dumbly.

Feeling as if he had waited entirely too long, Dallas rolled his eyes and scooped her up from the counter.

Ellie squealed and wrapped her arms around his neck to steady herself. "Where are you taking me?"

Dallas didn't answer. He was surprised as to how little she weighed. Where all girls so light? He didn't know- Sylvia would have clawed his eyes out if he had ever tried to carry her anywhere.

"Oh god," Ellie took in a deep, shaky breath as Dallas managed to open the front door. "You're going to murder me and leave me in some ditch!"

"Shut up." Dallas snorted, letting her stand on the porch before going back and shutting the door behind them.

When he turned back to her, she had her arms wrapped around her shoulders and her eyes glued to his.

"What are you up to?" Ellie inquired quietly. She wasn't so scared anymore, but there was a nervous buzz clouding around them in the dark.

Dallas paused in front of her, thinking of that night long ago, when she had practically straddled him in her car and he had lead her up to his room. It was the night that had started this whole thing; the one moment when she had transformed from weird new Soc into..._ Ellie. _It must have been fate that they were back there once more.

He took a momentous step forward and suddenly there was nothing but a thin strand of space between them. She smelled of flowers, and though the aroma was familiar, he hadn't realized it had been her until that moment.

"What do you think?" He asked in a low voice. His palms found their place at the base of her jaw, his thumbs brushing against her ears and the rest of his fingers threading themselves into her soft brown hair. Ellie's lips parted ever so slightly in surprise and her own hand came to a tentative rest around his forearm. He smirked, amused at the way her eyes would travel shyly to his face before darting away again. It suddenly dawned on him how beautiful she truly was. Her large, expressive eyes stole the show, but she also sported a rather delicate nose, a soft, pouting mouth, and round cheeks that allowed her to keep a sort-of childlike face.

"W-With you?" She stuttered distractedly, "I'd assume it's nothing good."

Dallas dipped his head down and pressed his lips to hers with a gentleness he didn't know he had. She was soft and velvety, tasting faintly like the sweetness of fruit. It took all of his strength not to drag her closer, to feel the curves of her body against his. She was frozen stiff in his hands, seized up by inexperience. But just as he was about to end the kiss, he felt her press back against him, timidly at first, and then with impatient vigor. Throwing her arms around his neck, she let out a long, heavy sigh that awoke every primal instinct he had.

Dallas pulled away, grinning. Balancing on her tip-toes, Ellie still perfectly still, her eyes lidded and her lips parted as if still pressed to his.

After a moment, he said, "I did it."

A smile stretched across Ellie's face and she finally opened her eyes. "Yeah, you _really_ did."

"No," Dallas rolled his eyes, "I mean your stupid perfect first kiss."

"What?" Ellie asked, dropping down to her heels. Her hands untangled themselves from his neck and instead went to curl up between them, grasping his shirt.

"You said you wanted a movie, dinner, and then your first kiss on the front porch." Dallas explained, rather pleased with himself. "Well, we saw a movie, and I made you pancakes even if you don't appreciate the skill it took to make them. And I know it's not _your_ front porch, but it's good enough."

Ellie blinked up at him. "Oh."

"'_Oh'_? That's all I get?" Dallas grumbled, "I put effort into this, you know."

"Sorry," Ellie giggled, not sounding sorry at all. "Am I supposed to say thank you?"

Dallas reared back a little, trying to hide his beguilement. "Well, some gratitude would be nice, you little brat."

Ellie tugged him down by his collar and pressed her tender lips against his once more. It was a relief to him, like seeing the sun for the first time after spending months locked up in jail. He could have had a million and one of Ellie's kisses, as demure and chaste as they were. But he knew he would always want more that that as well.

He pulled away when he felt something wet and gooey in her hair. Taking a closer look in the moonlight, he remembered the torrents of pancake batter that coated them both.

Dallas smeared some across her cheek with his thumb. "We should clean up."

Leaving the mess in the kitchen until morning, he led her up the stairs and into his room.

She sat down on his bed and got comfortable by placing one of his pillows in her lap. "You can use the washroom first. You've got most of it on you."

He didn't argue. Disappearing into the bathroom just across the hall, Dallas stuck his head under the sink and gave his hair a quick scrub. He would have showered, but the thought of Ellie sitting in his bedroom waiting for him was too enticing to resist.

Clearly she didn't feel the same. When it was her turn, Ellie took her sweet time showering and doing whatever magical shit girls did in the bathroom. He was nearly asleep by the time she came out.

"Dally..." She mumbled, shifting from one foot to the other as she stood there, wrapped tightly in his towel. "Can I borrow something to wear?"

Dallas ran his tongue along his teeth and swallowed hard. Water glistened and trailed down her neck and over her collarbone. He swore he could taste the freshness of her skin on his lips.

"Sure." Getting up, he managed to scrounge up one of his cleaner t-shirts. He threw it to her. "That ought to cover you."

"Not well enough." Ellie retorted nervously, tightening her grip on the towel. She gave him an expectant look. "Turn around?"

A wolfish grin appeared on his face but he did as she commanded. "Not even a peak?"

"Don't you dare..." She warned. After a brief pause, he could hear a soft swish as the towel fell to the floor. Without thinking, Dally tilted his head a little for a look.

"Dallas!" Ellie squealed, "Don't!"

He turned back to the wall, his hands up in defense. "Alright, alright, alright. Damn, you Socs are so prudish."

"Well, you Greasers are so... lude!" She shot back, and he swung around just in time to see her trot back into the washroom.

Falling back onto his bed, he reached down and dug up a new carton of cigarettes from the dark space underneath. He lit one as Ellie came back, her damp dress in her hands.

"I had to wash the collar." She explained.

"You can lay it out on the dresser to dry."

Quietly, Ellie sprawled the top half of her dress across the surface and let the rest hang down over the drawers. Dallas stalked her with his eyes, smoking his cigarette as if it was air. When she reached forward to flatten a sleeve, he could spy the beginnings of her panties slip out from the fringe of his shirt, hardly covering the milky globes underneath.

"So..." Finished, Ellie turned slowly until she was facing him.

"So..." Dallas brought his cigarette from his mouth and let out a stream of smoke. "I'm kind of digging you in my clothes."

Ellie blushed and tried to hide her smile. "Don't get used to it."

Taking one last drag, Dallas dropped the cigarette bud on the floor and crushed it under his foot. Then, without warning, he reached forward and grabbed Ellie's hand, jerking her towards him. She fell onto his lap, her knees pressed up against either side of his waist.

"Dal-" She began, placing her hands on his shoulders to steady herself.

Dallas cut her off, gripping her chin and forcing her to look at him as his other hand crept along her thigh and under her shirt.

"I might just." He said, seriously.

Ellie shivered and squirmed, but he wouldn't let her look away. Her eyes bright and wide with anticipation, her fingers quaking in the corner between his neck and shoulders. He could feel his mouth begin to water as his hand traveled along her body, admiring the soft, warm skin she had kept hidden.

When he couldn't endure it any longer, Dallas pulled her in and kissed her. Somewhere in the back of his mind, he reminded himself to stay gentle, but his hunger had overcome him. He didn't care any longer whether or not he could give as much as he wanted to take- nothing mattered but the taste of her, the feel of her skin, the resounding drumming of her heart... it overwhelmed him to the point of madness. Like a drunk dying of thirst, he grasped at her, licked her lip, and in reward, she let a soft, breathy gasp. Pulling away only to taste the sweetness of her throat, Dallas slipped a few fingers under the thin layer of her panties.

"D-Dallas!" Ellie panted, "W-w-wait!"

He froze.

Ellie caught hold of his hand. "Dallas..."

"Hm?" He grumbled, pressing a feather-light kiss on her jaw before rearing back and giving her his full attention. He knew exactly what she was about to say.

Ellie nibbled on her lip, unable to meet his eyes. "I... I can't..."

Dallas nodded.

"I mean..." Ellie brought his hand up between them, brushing her little fingers over the scars on his knuckles. "I... I'm supposed to save myself until marriage."

"Figures." Dallas snorted.

She glanced up at him. "Are you mad?"

"No, just... worked up."

"Dallas!" She giggled.

He brushed a few strands of chocolate hair from her face. "No really. I'm thinking of marrying you right now, just so I can get it in."

"You're a pig." She told him in a way that sounded as if she was saying sorry.

"You're a tease." He retorted, before letting them both tumble down onto his bed. Once she was comfortably tucked into the crook of his arm, he pulled up the covers and shut his eyes. "Bet you wouldn't even marry me."

"No way. You'd drive me nuts." She told him teasingly, stringing an arm over his chest. "But maybe I'll keep you around as a pool boy or something, for when I do have a husband."

Dallas frowned. There was no way in hell he was going to hang around, cleaning a pool while some old, balding fart sticks himself in _his_ girl.

"And since I'll be married, we can have an illicit affair behind his back." She went on, tilting her head to beam coyly up at him. "And he'll ask me why all our children have silvery-blonde hair and I'll tell him I haven't got a clue."

Dallas grinned. He didn't mind that plan so much after all.

"Go to bed, Princess."

* * *

Ellie awoke to an empty bed. The sheets were cold and thinner than they had seemed to be last night.

"Dallas?" She whispered uselessly as she uncurled herself from his pillow. The room filled up with silence. Something had changed, and it wasn't just the lighting of the room. Everything- even the bed- felt hostile to her touch. Unease crept into her bones. She knew without hesitation that last night had been a horrible mistake, yet she couldn't force herself to feel guilty... in fact, she couldn't have been more deliriously happy when it came to mind.

Scampering quickly from under the covers, Ellie pulled off Dally's t-shirt and slid back into her own dress. Trying to convince herself that she only felt weird because Dallas had disappeared, she crept out of the room to find him. Knowing he wasn't really the type to cuddle in bed, she tried not to be offended. He was probably eating breakfast or patching up his wound.

She made her way slowly down the hall, letting her hand run along the faded wallpaper as she went. The house was a crumbling, creaking beast, probably older than her grandmother. It was odd to think it housed people, let alone hosted huge parties almost every night. Yet despite it's haunted, unlivable appearance, she couldn't help but feel a fondness towards the old thing. After all, she had just spent one of her happiest nights in one of it's rooms. Perhaps it was good luck.

Perhaps not.

Dallas was sitting at the bar, his back to her. A trail of smoke was twirling above his head.

"Dallas..." She called nervously. The thick, heavy feeling of dread hadn't left her, and it only amplified as he turned in his seat.

Dallas was expressionless, glaring at her as if they were strangers. Buck was standing a little ways down the bar, a handful of dirty mugs in his hands as he watched her tip-toe down the stairs.

"I'll take you home." He drawled after a moment. Sliding from his seat, he snatched Tim's keys from the counter and headed for the door without a backwards glance.

She followed him into the morning sun, creeping down the porch and into the gravelly field before them. She kept her eyes glued to the back of his head, just waiting and wishing for him turn around and flash her his usual smile. But there was nothing. Dallas crawled into the cab and turned the key in the ignition, waiting for her to follow suit.

Their drive was spent in silence. The only thing Ellie could concentrate on was the general noise of Tim's truck as it raced through the streets of Tulsa. What had she done wrong? They had fallen asleep happy, so why had she woken up to..._this_? Was it because she hadn't slept with him? He seemed to be fine with her decision last night! Perhaps not entirely pleased, but not upset enough to be as sour as he acting now.

She stared at him through the corner of her eyes. She could just ask him.. yet the words struggled to come out.

'_You kissed me...' _She thought, staring at the white in his knuckles as he gripped the wheel. '_You took my first kiss... so why are you doing this to me? What's wrong?'_

It seemed like decades before he pulled up to her curb, yet even then she felt as if there hadn't been enough time. She wished he'd just tell her, so they could hash it out right then and there and move on. This wasn't how she wanted it to end... it wasn't fair... it wasn't _right_.

"Go on." He pressed after a second, tapping his thumb against the wheel impatiently. He hadn't even bothered to cut the engine.

Tears welled up in her eyes and overflowed down her cheeks, sliding over the very lips he had so tenderly kissed a few hours ago.

"You know," Ellie said, her voice thick with her heartache as she pulled on the door handle. "I just wish you'd be mean to me like you are with other girls. That way, you won't bring my hopes up."

He didn't even look at her.

She couldn't stop the sob that bubbled up in her throat. It sounded almost like a laugh.

"Just stay away from me then." She told him, crawling out of the cab and slamming the door shut behind her.

He was gone before she even got to the gate.

* * *

**Oh Dallas, you piece of shit.**

**So? How did you guys like it? THEY FINALLY KISSED! I hope it was written well enough? It was kind of hard to pick the right moment to do it. And it was even harder to write one almost kiss and two real kisses back to back! Kisses are hard, man.**

**Also who likes possessive Dallas? It was hard not to make him sound creepy... I think he might still actually. He's such a scumbag LOL**

**Next chapter is going to be a sad-fest, of course.**

**I hope you guys found this chapter and the kiss to be fulfilling and not a total bust? Let me know what you think!**


	16. Blue Jeans

16.

Ellie crept quietly through her house, anxious to get back to her room where her own bed awaited. As she went up the stairs, Lady emerged from the landing and sprinted up past her. At the top of the landing, she turned to watch Ellie catch up, her tongue rolling out from her muzzle. Together they approached her bedroom door.

"Where have you been?" Angel asked, sitting on her bed. She had an old magazine propped up on her lap, her hand poised in the middle of flipping a page. Beside her, Sylvia was fast asleep, rolled up in Ellie's covers. Lady jumped on the bed and curled up at their feet.

Ellie dropped down in the thin space that was left on her bed, exhausted. "Out... What are you doing here?"

Angel lifted a perfectly sculpted eyebrow. "We were supposed to have a sleepover, remember?"

"Oh, right..." She knew she should have felt bad for ditching them at her own house, but it just seemed so insignificant compared to the clenched feeling she had in her chest. She kept seeing Dallas' face, cut-off and casually cruel, as he drove her home. "Sorry."

"Don't worry about it. It seems Kathy and Sandy forgot as well. I haven't seen them since last night." Angel tossed the magazine away and crawled along the bed, pulling Lady's head into her lap so that she could sit by Ellie. "Where were you, really?"

Ellie brought her arm to rest over her eyes just as another wave of tears threatened to spill.

"With Ben." She told her after a moment.

"Liar." Angel snorted softly. "There's no need for that. Sylvia sleeps like a log and I already know the truth."

Ellie's heart began to pound, her palms sweaty. Her first instinct was to deny it, but then Angel _had_ seen her with Dallas last night. Anxiety came to her in full force and she twisted on her side, feeling sick. If there was one thing that seemed even more unbearable than Dally's rejection, it would be having Sylvia as an enemy.

Ellie felt a few digits begin to play with her hair and she flinched.

"Darling..." Angel went on with a demanding yet gentle tone ringing in her voice, "What have you done?"

She sounded so much like Ellie's mother that the girl couldn't help but sit up and curl into Angel's side like a child. There weren't very similarities between the two women. Angel was arrogant, loud, vicious, and unladylike. Her mother was strict, proud, and poised. But if she had truly grown up in East Tulsa like her father had said, then it didn't seem so much of a stretch to think she had once, long ago, been very much like Angel.

"Not enough, I suppose." Ellie admitted with a pained smile, letting herself cry without shame. She had never felt so strongly towards a boy before, nor had she ever felt so utterly hurt by one.

Unexpectedly, Angel let out a relieved sigh, doubling her efforts to comb Ellie's hair back. "Good. Trust me, you'll want to keep it that way."

Ellie sniffed and wiped away her leftover tears. Casting an apprehensive glance to the girl still fast asleep under her covers, she whispered, "How do you know?"

"I know I'm not exactly the poster-girl for purity," She flashed a rueful grin that reminded Ellie that she was indeed still Angel. "But I do know what it feels like to give everything to a boy who never deserved it, let alone earned it."

Ellie nodded sullenly. She hadn't given herself to Dallas because she knew it was wrong. But if she put her values aside, the question of him deserving it or not was even harder to figure out. What did it even mean? Was he supposed to go through trials in order to be worthy of her? Yet Angel's words seemed to make sense as well. Last night was proof; if she had given in, the ache in her chest would have been unimaginable compared to the dullness it held now.

"It's better this way." Angel stated, taking her hand out of Ellie's locks to give Lady a scratch behind her ear. "Nothing good will ever come from him, Ellie, and everyone knows becoming a white-trash wife to some dirty trucker ain't where you're headed. You leave that fate to... other girls."

Both of their eyes wandered back to Sylvia.

"I better wake her up." Angel sighed. "We've already missed first period."

Ellie froze, taking a few minutes to fully comprehend the girl's words.

"There's school today!" She exclaimed, scuttling from the bed. "I completely forgot!"

Angel smiled and got up as well. Lady, disturbed from her morning nap, gave her head a big shake before settling down again.

"You should take the day off, kiddo." She told her, "A broken heart is as good of an excuse as the flu."

Then Angel bent down and shoved Sylvia so hard she rolled over on the bed.

"Fuck off." Sylvia grumbled sleepily, clutching a pillow to her chest.

Angel gave her another shake. "Come on. We all have school."

Sylvia groaned loudly. Then, after a few more coaxes, she managed to swing her legs over the edge of the bed and sit up, her eyes still shut.

"Ellie?" Sylvia yawned, "Where have you been, girly?"

Ellie shot Angel a pleading, helpless look. She couldn't lie to Sylvia; even it had been a little one, it would have sounded forced and shaky. But lying to her about Dallas? She might as well tell the truth.

"With Ben." Angel supplied, grinning cattily. "Doing unspeakable things."

Sylvia's eyes shot open and her mouth fell agape. "No _way_!"

Despite the situation, Ellie flushed. "Not _unspeakable_ things..."

Angel grabbed the bag she had brought with her yesterday for the sleepover. "She went home with him."

"That's utter bullshit!" Sylvia scoffed disbelieving as she stood up and stretched. "I don't believe it. You, Elizabeth Carter, going home with a boy? _How_?"

"I got in his car." Ellie answered stupidly. "And I let him slobber on my face."

Sylvia winced. "Shit. I'm guessing it wasn't a good night, then?"

Ellie sat down on her bed and sighed. "It could have been better."

Misunderstanding her, Sylvia grinned teasingly as she slid on her boots. As she passed Ellie towards the door, she gave her a light slap on her shoulder. "Buck up, Princess. I'm sure he'll give you everything you want and more next time."

Lady followed Sylvia out of the room. Angel and Ellie listened to them descend the stairs before exchanging another meaningful look.

"Stay away from him." Angel whispered quickly, before she disappeared as well.

* * *

Ellie hadn't really thought Dallas would leave her alone, but by Saturday she was getting antsy. Everywhere she went, she half-expected to see him prowling just around the corner, doing whatever a JD did on their days off. It wasn't as if he usually sought her out, but it was a small town and they shared friends; they were bound to bump into each other _somewhere_.

To avoid him, she had been spending most of her time at school with Socs, frightened that he'd stop by during lunch to hang out with Two-Bit. She had been lucky this week; she and Alice had a Pre-Calc test the next Monday, and they both were in dire need of study. So most of their days had been spent holed up in the school library, broken up by the occasional visit from Johnny or Ben.

Ben. The first time she had seen him after the kiss, she could hardly keep herself together. The overwhelming guilt of it hit her like a tornado, ripping apart her chest. Yet she couldn't find the words to admit what had happened, let alone apologize. It wasn't as if they were _really_ dating yet, she had told herself over and over, just to try and make herself feel less like a horrendous floozy. It wasn't as if they walked around school, holding hands and kissing. He had taken her out once, and it hadn't been anything truly personal and romantic. _He_ would have been her first kiss, if only fate had allowed it. Maybe then she wouldn't have been in such a predicament.

"Um, Ellie?" She looked up to see Alice staring at her from across her kitchen table. "I don't think your graph is right."

Ellie blinked. "Huh? Why not?"

"Because all you did was draw a unicorn in it."

She glanced down at her paper, smiling sheepishly at the little doodle she had been working on for the past hour.

"Sorry..." She told the other girl, "My mind keeps wandering away."

Alice laughed, flashing a set of pearl teeth. "I've noticed! I know math is boring and all, but we've only started studying half an hour ago... whats on your mind?"

Ellie dropped her pen down and propped her head up in her palm. "I was just thinking of all the things I need to do, that's all. I haven't gone grocery shopping in two weeks, and we're running low now."

"Oh," Alice nodded solemnly, "I bet it's hard, without your parents around. You should get a maid to help around the house!"

"My mother would say no." Ellie replied, pouting. "She'd tell me that I need to learn how to do things for myself. She's such a stickler when it comes to housekeeping."

After a moment, Alice pushed away her textbook and stood up. Grabbing her purse from where it was hung on the back of her chair, she waved for Ellie to do the same. "Well then, come on! I've always wanted to go grocery shopping by myself! We can pretend we're room-mates, buying things for our apartment."

Ellie jumped from her chair with a relieved sigh. "That would be great. I swear, if I have to do one more math problem, my brain will turn into scrambled eggs."

They spent the rest of the day at the grocery store, buying anything that caught their eye. Ellie knew half of it would turn stale in her cupboards before she would even remember she had them, but she was having too much fun to bother with sensibility. For a while, she had thought she would feel miserable forever, but Alice was doing a great job of taking her mind off things. It was good to hang out with her one-on-one, where neither of them had to live up to their stereotypes. Over the course of the week, Alice had shown herself to be less of a spineless schoolgirl looking to fit in, and more like an outgoing socialite without enough self-esteem. If anything, Ellie was beginning to feel bad for her, listening to the way she described her friendships with the other girls.

By the time Ellie had made it home, the sun was already setting behind the rows of houses on her street, painting the front of her house in a warm, milky orange. Grabbing her bundles of groceries from her trunk, she cast a fugitive glance towards the Curtis house. Ponyboy, as always, was sitting on the front steps, a new book in his hands. Everything in her yearned to say go over and say hello, though she had only been absent from them for a few days. Still, it felt like weeks, and knowing them, a million and one things must have happened between that time.

But then she saw a flash of silver in the window behind Ponyboy. Nearly dropping half of her groceries, Ellie raced indoors, her dogs chasing after her.

Her grandmother met her in the kitchen, hovering over a boiling pot. She lifted an eyebrow as Ellie came in panting. "Did you _run _all the way from the store?"

"I'm avoiding someone." The young girl admitted, dumping the bags on the counter beside the icebox. After taking a moment to settle her breathing, she began the process of taking all the items in the bags out to be sorted into their own places around the kitchen.

"A boy." Her grandmother expanded, her eyes never leaving the pot before her. Sniffing the air, Ellie could tell it was pea soup, one of her oldest and grossest recipes.

She stashed a box of cereal in the cupboard above her. "How did you know?"

"It's always a boy." She replied disinterestedly. "And I can guess why you're avoiding him, too."

Ellie didn't want her to guess, knowing the answer would be all too close to the truth. Fiddling uncomfortably with the top of an egg-carton, she eventually found the courage to ask, "What do I do?"

"Move on." Her grandmother turned the burner off and grabbed two bowls for the soup. "Or you can try calling your mother. She was always knee-deep in boy troubles around your age."

Ellie chewed the inside of her cheek, picking up on her gruff tone. "Are you saying my mother was...promiscuous?"

"No, I'm saying she was a slut." The old woman picked up her bowl of soup and carried it to the table. They had a perfectly good dining table in the next room, but with only the two of them, it was simpler to eat in the kitchen.

"_Grandmother_." Ellie scolded, going back to her organizing.

"What? She was!" She took a long sip of her soup. "Now, what boy broke your heart? The rich one or the delinquent?"

All this time, Ellie had assumed her grandmother had no idea what was happening in her life. It wasn't as if they ever really talked, besides the usual idle conversations during dinner or in front of the television. Hell, she doubted her grandma even knew any of her friend's names! Yet there she was, making rather accurate guesses on all Ellie's worries and woes.

Then again, she probably wasn't the first girl in Tulsa to get screwed-over by the opposite sex.

"Or was it that little scrawny one that you always hang about with? Isn't he a bit young for you?"

"Johnny? No! And for your information, he's the same age as me."

"Huh. I thought he was twelve."

Ellie rolled her eyes. Grabbing the other bowl, she poured a minimal amount of soup into it before joining her guardian. The groceries could wait a few minutes.

"It was that blonde delinquent, then." Her grandmother guessed after a few moments of silent eating.

"Dallas Winston." Ellie supplied, forcing the name from her mouth. It hurt to even hear it.

Her grandmother leaned back in her chair thoughtfully. "His father used to hang around with your dad."

"Yeah, well, he kissed me and then acted like I was gum stuck to his boot." Ellie went on, twirling her spoon around in the bowl. She had been trying to avoid this conversation, but now that it was out in the open, it felt equal parts good and bad to let it all out. At least with her grandmother she didn't feel as if the news would spread any further than their house.

The old woman let out a thoughtful hum. "Could have been a lot worse."

"Yet whenever I think about it, I want to vomit and cry at the same time."

"That's love for you."

Ellie coughed on the spoonful of soup she had finally found the stomach to eat.

"I am not in love!" She shrieked once she had gained control of herself. Lord let out a loud howl from their back yard and Ellie's cheeks turned crimson. The whole neighborhood must have heard her.

"Now look, you've got the damn dogs going again!" Her grandmother growled, getting up to toss her dishes in the sink. "Enough of this! Just call your mother, for God's sake!"

"Sorry." Ellie replied meekly, already lost in her thoughts once more. Perhaps she _should_ call her mother. Maybe then she would get some exact instructions on how to deal with her problem. It wasn't as if she could avoid leaving her house for the rest of her time in Tulsa.

Pouring the rest of her soup down the drain and storing the leftovers, Ellie hurried to organize what was left of the groceries. She was both parts anxious and hesitant to call her mother. Though she had called nearly every day since Ellie had left for Tulsa, time took it's tole and the daily talks turned into weekly conversations that turned into monthly five-minute chats. And though she missed her family dearly, she was also beginning to notice how relieved she was when the calls with her mother were over. It wasn't that she didn't appreciate everything she put into raising her, but _God_, sometimes Ellie wished she a little less uptight.

'_Every teenager thinks their parents are overbearing_.' Ellie reminded herself as she stowed away the last of the vegetables. Making quick work of the leftover dishes, she wiped her hands on a dishtowel and headed into the living room. Her grandmother was sitting outside on the front deck with Lady, so she had free reign of the space. Collapsing on the couch, she reached tentatively towards telephone, pressing the handset to her ear, she dialed the familiar number and waited patiently for the long-distance operator to connect her.

"Hello darling!" Her mother cooed into the phone. "How have you been?"

Despite her earlier discomfort, a smile spread across Ellie's face. "I'm okay, mumsie. How's baby Sam?"

"Oh, he's walking now! In fact, I can't get him to sit still." Her mother explained, and there was a bit of rustling through the phone. "And he can say 'mummy' and 'dada' as well."

"Daddy will be happy to hear it when he sees you two." Ellie commented, feeling the persistent tug of home-sickness come over her. It hurt not to be able to see her brother grow up, especially during a time where babies learned so much so quickly. She had even missed his second birthday a few weeks ago, without even noticing!

When her mother didn't reply, Ellie's smile fell.

"Mumsie? Mom? Are you still there?"

"Oh?" Her silky voice floated back through the headset, unusually dazed. "Oh, yes darling, of course. But enough about us. How have you been? How is school? You better mail your report card to me so I can take a look. Have you improved at all in your sciences? Darling, you know it isn't very becoming of a lady to be empty headed."

"What does it matter, though?" Ellie asked before she could stop herself, "Boys don't care if I can count past five. They just want what I'm hiding under my skirt."

Her mother's voice took on a stern tone. "Elizabeth, a proper man wants a woman who can please him in _more_ than one way. And what do you know of boys? I hope you've been watching your reputation, Elizabeth, or so help me-"

"Of course, mother." Ellie closed her eyes and sighed. "I-I just..."

"Just _what_? Speak clearly."

Her mouth opened and just as quickly shut. How was she going to approach the subject of her first kiss without getting an ear-full?

"_Elizabeth_." Her mother warned.

In one big breath, Ellie let out as much information as she could without letting her mother interrupt. "There's this boy at school and he's really nice and he's a Soc- I mean, he's middle class and he asked me on a date -or at least I think it was a date- so I said yes and it was really sweet and perfect and I _really_ like him so he kissed me and I said I was saving myself for marriage just like you wanted me to and then the next day he acted as if I was nothing so now I don't know what to do because it _hurts _and I just want him to like me again so everything can go back to normal but I don't think it will and it's like I've ruined everything."

There was another long pause as her mother processed her words. Ellie dropped her face into the arm of the sofa, wincing. She knew it was only making things worse to converge Dallas and Ben into one semi-fictional person, but she couldn't think of a better option that didn't end with her on the next train back to her mother.

"You let a boy kiss you?"

"...Uh-huh..." Ellie answered slowly, letting the lie roll off her tongue like heavy syrup. She had never tried to deceive her own mother before, yet it had been so painfully easy to do. What was becoming of her?

"Elizabeth," Her mother sighed, "Who gave you permission to see this boy on a date, because it certainly wasn't me."

"Grandmother..." Ellie lied again, sitting up. Well, it wasn't as if her grandmother tried to stop her...

"That is not enough, and you know that. Next time you see a boy, he has to be familiar with either me or your father. I don't care if you have to put them on the phone with me so they can ask permission! Do you understand?"

"Yes, mother."

"Good." She said resolutely. "I hope you've learned your lesson. You can't just let them take whatever part of you that they want, Elizabeth. Your body belongs only to your future husband."

Ellie could feel all her bad feelings springing up again, stinging her eyes. "Yes, mother."

"And you better study more! It's simple laziness, darling, and it's-"

"Unladylike." Ellie finished hollowly. "I know. I'll do better, I promise."

"Don't promise me, show me." Her mother insisted. "Now, how many times do I have to remind you to join an after-school activity? I thought you were planning on joining cheer leading?"

"I'm practicing for the next try-outs." Ellie lied for the third time. She should have felt bad for being such a horrible daughter, but instead she only felt angry that her mother even believed her. _Everyone_ could tell when she lied. Was her mother even _listening_? "I've got to go now."

"Alright then, darling." Her mother sighed, "Do be good, will you? And no more of this boy-nonsense."

"Bye." Ellie hung up and crawled over the couch so that she could rest fully on her stomach, her face mushed into the seat cushion.

She had never felt so low in her entire life. Instead of bringing her spirits up and offering clarity, her conversation with her mother had only reminded her of her neglected biology homework. She shouldn't have said anything! She should have known better than to hope for understanding! Dallas Winston was the type of boy her mother had nightmares about. If she had told the truth, Ellie could imagine herself being disowned.

But what was so wrong about kissing a him? Sure, it didn't exactly pan out like she had wanted, but they were just teenagers! It wasn't as if she had expected him to fall head-over-heals in love with her the moment their lips met. Dallas was Dallas and he wasn't some nice, wholesome boy that she would ever actually end up dating. And she had known that, long before that night had even begun.

Ellie let out a loud groan. It didn't matter what she told herself. It still hurt.

* * *

_Tap tap tap tap_.

A few chairs away, a pudgy woman in purple glared at Ellie over her magazine.

_Tap tap tap tap._

The woman coughed pointedly, readjusting her thick rump in her seat before coughing again.

_Tap tap tap tap tap tap tap tap tap tap._

"Do you mind?" She huffed, finally catching Ellie's attention.

The girl stared wide-eyed and confused at her neighbor. "Sorry?"

"You're tapping your foot." The woman pointed to Ellie's white kitten heals. "And it's driving me utterly crazy."

Smiling apologetically, the young girl snapped her feet together and sat straighter, concentrating on keeping still. Eventually, the woman went back to her magazine.

Ellie had been forced into spending her Sunday afternoon at the hospital, where her grandmother was receiving some test results. She wasn't too worried; this had been a regular process since they had lived in Chicago. Her grandmother would take her annual tests to see how her health was, they'd tell her to stop smoking so much, and then send her home as good as ever.

Having never personally driven her grandmother to one of these appointments, she had been expecting it to last up to half an hour maximum. But then two hours crawled by and she was beginning to get antsy. Hospitals were ghastly places.

"Are you Miss Carter's granddaughter?"

Ellie looked up. Standing in front of her, a rather worn-out man clutched a clip-board to his side, one eyebrow rising in expectancy.

"Yes." Ellie answered after a moment, standing to shake the man's hand.

"I'm Dr. Reese." He introduced himself, "Do you have any adult relatives in town, Miss Carter?"

Shaking her head, Ellie began to feel ice forming in the pit of her stomach. "Is there something wrong?"

Dr. Reese let out a tight smile that didn't quench any of her fear. "Don't worry, it doesn't appear to be anything serious. We're just going to keep your grandmother for a few more days."

"Why?" Ellie asked nervously, glancing over her shoulder as if she expected her grandmother to be walking down the hall towards them. "What's wrong with her?"

"We received unusual results for one of her tests. We need to keep a closer watch on her for the next few days so we can observe further." He went on quickly, "Is there a phone number I can call that will direct me to an adult relative? Perhaps her husband or your parents?"

"R-right..." She licked her lips, finding it hard to concentrate on his words. "Right. I'll give you my parent's numbers."

Dr. Reese passed her his clipboard and dug around his pockets for a pen. "Is there anyone to watch over you while she's gone?"

"Uh, uh-huh." She nodded as she scribble down a few digits.

He didn't seem overly convinced. "Let me give these numbers a call. You can wait with your grandmother just down the hall in room 307."

Without another word, Ellie rushed down the corridor, nearly crashing into a few nurses on her fearful pursuit. Finally, '307' appeared on one of the doors.

"Can you believe these idiots?" Her grandmother hissed as Ellie came stumbling in. She was sitting up on a hospital bed, already dressed in a gown. "Keeping me in this sick-hole for _days_! I'm telling you, I came in here healthy, but I'll leave sick as a dog! Don't let them hold me, Elizabeth. They're only trying to suck our money dry!"

Relief thawed Ellie as she sat down beside the seething old woman. At least she didn't _sound _as if she was planning to keel over any time soon.

"They're calling mother and father." Ellie admitted. "They're the ones sealing your fate."

The woman grumbled a few unintelligible words before spitting out, "I'm fine."

"I know, Grandma."

They sat in apprehensive silence until Dr. Reese came into the room, a cup of coffee attached to his free hand.

He took a deep breath before speaking. "I spoke to your son, Mrs. Carter, and he has consented to your stay here."

"No!" Ellie's grandmother shrieked immediately, "I have a right to leave, damn it! There's no use for me being here! I'm perfectly healthy, you idiot!"

"Unfortunately, as your son is your conservator, it is his decision to keep you here." Dr. Reese turned his rather faded attention to Ellie. "He has also informed me that you have neighbors to take care of you while your grandmother is here. I trust you can arrange a stay with them for the next week or so?"

Ellie blinked. Neighbors? Then she remembered her father meeting the Curtis'. He must have thought them worthy enough if he was trusting his daughter to them.

Despite the situation, Ellie smiled. "Oh, of course."

"This is ridiculous." Her grandmother cut in, crossing her arms over her chest. "What am I? A dog to be put down at the vet?"

"Grandmother," Ellie started softly, reaching out to pat her shoulder, "It'll only last a few days. I'll come every day to see you, I promise. And the moment they're done their evaluation, I'll get you out."

But there was no convincing her, and Ellie had to leave the hospital feeling sullen and guilty for leaving her there. It was hard to understand why she needed to be there in the first place; it wasn't as if the woman was in any immediate danger. It was bringing them unnecessary pain, keeping her locked up in that dingy, sad room.

Not wanting to go home to an empty house, Ellie drove aimlessly through Tulsa, passing The Dingo, Two-Bit's house, and Steve's house without slowing. She knew Sylvia, Kathy, and Angel were bound to be roaming around town at that time of day, but Ellie quickly dismissed the idea of meeting up with them.

Stopping at the next payphone she spotted, Ellie dialed the number written on the back of a ripped piece of cigarette packet she had been hoarding at the bottom of her purse for months.

A woman answered on the fifth ring. "Cade residence."

"Hello," Ellie squeaked, having been expecting a far gentler, male voice opposed to the sharp one she was being subjected to now. "Is Johnny home?"

"Who is speaking?" The woman -who must have been Johnny's mother- barked.

She licked her lips, realizing that this call had been a massive mistake. What if she got Johnny in trouble? What if he was hurt because of her?

But her lying streak must have been over, because Ellie could think of nothing but the truth. "This is Elizabeth Carter. I go to school with your son..."

"Well, he's not here." Johnny's mother grumbled into the phone, sounding a little more compliant. "But if you find him, you tell him he better come home immediately."

"Yes ma'am!" Ellie answered automatically before squealing a quick goodbye.

Getting back into her car, she made a bee-line back home before she could cause anyone else more damage.

* * *

Johnny fidgeted uncomfortably. He was sitting on the hood of Two-Bit's car, and the heat from the sun was burning a hole right through his jeans. In front of the vehicle, Ponyboy and Two-Bit were arguing over Pony's new book.

"But why _riddles_?" Two-Bit asked, eyes squinted in confusion, "Why didn't he just beat the little shit's ass with his glow-y sword and bust out of there?"

Pony sighed and a long trail of cigarette smoke fell from his mouth and formed a fleeting cloud above his head. "Well, for one, he had never used it before, and he needed the thing to show him the way out."

Johnny ducked his head down tiredly as Two-Bit opened his mouth to throw in another agitating remark. It clear to see he wasn't actually interested in Pony's book, and was only having the conversation to rile Ponyboy up with stupid questions. It was one of Two-Bit's favorite games during the school hours he bothered attending. Though Pony would never admit it, his temper could rival that of his eldest brother. And it there was one thing Two-Bit loved to do, it was to piss people off.

Johnny gently nudged Ponyboy's leg with his foot. "You want anything from the cafeteria?"

Distracted, Pony shook his head before returning to his argument. The sixteen-year-old cast his two bickering friends one last miserable glare before jumping from the hood of the car, unable to stand the heat any longer. Before him, greasers of all grades and degrees lounged about their cars, smoking and fooling around and whistling at passing girls.

One of the girls was Ellie, her books clutched tightly to her chest as she sped towards the back entrance.

Johnny raced to catch up with her.

"What's new?" He asked as he came to her side. He took a quick moment to kill his cigarette on the brick wall by the door and she hardly stopped to wait for him.

"Nothing much." Ellie muttered quickly, "Did you do the homework for history?"

Johnny shrugged. "Most of it."

Ellie nodded but said nothing. It wasn't hard for him to tell her mind was far, far away. Since Wednesday, she had been hiding away in her own little world, speaking to no one but that blonde Soc. She had even taken to studying through lunches at the library, far from Greaser territory. It was starting to irk him.

"Ellie," Johnny grabbed her arm, forcing her to slow down and face him. "What's the matter with you, huh?"

She flashed him a tired little smile. "I'm sorry, Johnny, really. I'm just... stressed out?"

He opened his mouth just as the school bell began to ring. By the time it had stopped, Ellie was already half way down the hallway, waving at him before she disappeared around the corner.

Johnny rolled his eyes. Did she think she could so easily avoid him? Their next class was history, where they sat side-by-side. But Ellie seemed to have forgotten, because when she walked in her eyes widened at the sight of him sitting there. With an embarrassed flush sprouting over her face, she shuffled into her seat beside him and set her textbook on the table.

He let her gaze off into blissful nothingness for a long moment before he persisted.

"What's stressing you out?" Johnny asked as they waited for the teacher to come out from the hallway where she stood speaking to the school's principal.

Ellie blinked at him, an ocean of feelings swimming in her grey orbs. There was guilt and fear there, but also that gentle endurance he knew she had in her.

When she said 'nothing', he knew she was lying, and not just by the way she squished up her face as if her dishonesty physically stung her.

But then Miss Avandi came trotting to her front desk, setting her mug on the wooden surface before calling for the class' attention.

The two tore their attentions away from each other and listened to the woman drone on about World War One for the rest of the hour. Johnny was struggling to pay attention, but it wasn't as if he could properly wean information from Ellie while Miss Avandi gave her lesson. He could practically feel Ellie's discomfort only a few inches away, seeping into him like a poison. He wouldn't just let it slip by anymore- it had been _days_, and it was about time she just let it out.

At the end of class, Johnny gathered his books and followed through the crowded halls to her locker. He kept quiet as she decoded her lock and she eyed him suspiciously as she swung the metal door wide open.

"Don't you have class?" Ellie asked, deposing of her books in the second shelf before reaching into the second one to grab another set of textbooks. Johnny interrupted her by dumping his thick history textbook into the shelf, almost crushing her fingers.

Ellie reared back and clutched her hands to her chest, surprised. "What are you doing?"

"_We're_ getting out of here." He stated, fishing keys from her hanging backpack. Slamming the locker shut, he nudged her forward. "Come on."

"Wait!" Ellie gasped, resisting against him. "Will you wait one second? I can't skip class!"

"It's only Art." Johnny snorted behind her, his hands on her shoulders as he pressed them closer to the main doors. He himself hardly ever skipped school. He liked learning, and he liked having an excuse to stay out of the house for eight hours each day. But if Ellie wouldn't face him at school, then he'd just have to take her somewhere where she couldn't escape his questions.

Letting out a loud, throaty groan that was in no way attractive or feminine, Ellie let him take her to her car. They clamored in without any more resistance on her part, Johnny in the driver's seat.

She leaned her head against the window with a little _thump_. "Where are we going then? It better be worth lowering my grade point average."

Johnny scanned the passing buildings as they drove away from the school. "What're you feeling?"

Ellie hummed in thought.

"Ice cream?" She asked, turned to look at him hopefully.

Johnny took her to _Uncle Jack's_, an ice cream parlor in Soc territory. With everyone in school, they ran little risk of being bothered, and when they went inside there were only a few old people sitting to their left. _Uncle Jack's_ was a tiny store, barely containing it's long counter and only four booths, tables scattered around to fill the middle. But Johnny liked the place none-the-less. He often went there to waste time, and after a dozen frequent visits, the staff had come to know him well, occasionally giving him a free scoup if they were generous.

Ellie forgot about her sulky mood the moment she locked eyes with the colorful array of ice cream. Johnny smiled, watching from a few steps behind as she planted her hands against the glass to get a better look at the flavors. She was always quick to cheer up, he observed.

"I want that one." She finally decided, pointing to a bucket of strawberry and vanilla swirled together. The skinny college-kid behind the counter nodded and filled a cone for her. Then he took Johnny's order of plain vanilla.

Ellie objected loudly when he pulled out a few dollars to pay, but he quickly silenced her. Sometimes he managed to scrounge up a few dollars if Soda and Steve let him come along to steal parts, and it was hurting his manhood, letting Ellie pay for him all the time.

"Quiet!" He told her playfully, passing the cash to the man, "I'm tryn'a make you feel better, alright? So let me pay for your ice cream."

Ellie huffed, but said nothing more a she busied herself with her treat. He led her out to the front of the store and they sat on the top of a picnic table they had set outside.

"So what's got you acting so weird?" He finally asked.

Ellie gave her ice cream a long lick before observing, "You boys never take 'no' for an answer, do you?"

"No." Johnny answered, and they shared a soft chuckle at his choice of words.

"So? Let it out." He pushed on when she fell silent once more. "Or else I'll have to start guessing."

Looking rather coy, she raised her eyebrows at him as if to say '_go on_'.

Sighing, he began to wrack his brain for any of Ellie's possible sources of pain.

"Is it your... dad?" He asked gently. "Is something wrong with your family?"

Ellie shook her head.

"...Did Sylvia do something?"

Again, Ellie shook her head. It seemed to him as if her cheery persona was beginning to dim and fade back into what she had been back at the school.

"Was it that Soc? Ben?"

"Uh-uh." She denied, "He didn't do anything wrong. Actually, he's been nothing but a perfect gentleman."

Something in the tone of her voice sent warning sirens off in Johnny's head. It was almost as if she had more to add into the sentence- as if it was supposed to end with an '_unlike...'._

"Dallas." Johnny scoffed, not bothering to say his name as a question.

Ellie's growing discomfort and avoidance of his gaze left him no doubts.

"What did that idiot do?" Johnny sighed, leaning forward to prop his elbows against his knees. "I warned him to keep it in his pants."

"You what?" Ellie gasped, laughter returning to her lips as she added, "I never pegged you for the protective-brother type, Johnny."

Johnny flashed her a sulky frown. "And I never thought you'd actually let him try anything, yet here we are."

Ellie ducked her head down, picking at the napkin that wrapped around her cone. "I didn't... well, mostly. We just kissed."

He tried to suppress his sigh of relief. "That's not so bad."

"Not so bad?" Ellie huffed, "Maybe not for a boy, but it's a big deal for girls, okay? And it was my very _first_!"

Johnny stuck his hands up -still clutching his cone- in surrender. "Okay, okay. So what exactly happened? Did he force you into it?"

Beginning with a great, big, exhausted sigh, Ellie told him everything; from the moment they entered the drive-in up until Angel and Sylvia walked out of her bedroom. Johnny took the information in without interrupting, grimacing and chuckling and snorted at the appropriate moments.

"Well," He hummed contemplatively as Ellie finished her story. "I guess I'm just going to have to kill him, won't I?"

Ellie smiled at his jest, but she quickly sobered at the look on his face.

"Johnny-"

"No, Ellie." Johnny cut in tersely. "I _knew _this was going to happen. I warned him and Two-Bit, but those idiots see something they want and they won't just quit until they either get it or ruin it."

Unable to sit still, he stepped down from the picnic table and threw out his half-eaten cone.

Ellie shrunk back into herself, staring dishearteningly at her own ice cream. "I shouldn't have said anything... I promised I wouldn't say anything..." She looked up at him with watery eyes. "That's why I've been avoiding everyone."

Johnny's irritation melted away and he came to sit back down beside her. Hanging out with Dally and Darry had made his temper awfully short.

Trying to keep his voice soft and even, he asked, "What do you mean?"

"I mean..." She chewed on her lip reluctantly, "I've been avoiding everyone because I didn't want to cause any problems or make things awkward... You guys are so much like family, I'd feel horrible if I messed that up somehow."

"Family?" Johnny choked out, feeling a mixture of agitation and admiration coiling inside his chest, coming out as an incredulous laugh. "You're right, we are family. But families fight, Els, trust me. But the whole point of being a family is that we don't just give up on each other when we're mad! Family means we work through it. Family means we lean on each other when we need help."

Ellie stared at him with those doe-eyed, teary orbs or hers and he had to look away, scared she'd see the pain crackling across his face. He wanted to cry with her.

Never before had he stopped to realize his friends were more family than his own blood had ever been. It felt as if something in the world had shifted, yet he couldn't pinpoint it.

Ellie must have sensed that Johnny was overwhelmed, because she scooted closer and tucked her free arm through his, locking them together as their shoulders pressed together comfortingly.

"Well, I also didn't want to accidentally bump into his _stupid_ face."

Johnny furrowed his brow, blinking in confusion. But then he realized...

"You don't know?" He asked, tentatively, turning back to face her.

She had a gentle, soothing smile on her face and it reminded him of the way Pony's mother used to smile when one of the boys were hurt.

"What?" She asked.

Johnny searched for words as his previous anger resurfaced in full force. Now he really was going to kill Dallas.

"That dirty, cowardly scumbag." He said out loud, before admitting to her in a rough voice, "Dally is gone, Ellie. He left on Tuesday."

Ellie froze, gaping at her friend. She stayed that way for so long, her strawberry ice cream began to melt and run down her hand like thick, pink blood.

"What?" She cried out in a tiny voice. "What?"

"He went on the road with Slash-J." He rubbed the side of his face with his hand, feeling like a fool. He should have known something was wrong. Dallas never went out of state for a gig, but he had been packed and ready to go, giving the gang an impromptu good-bye before disappearing. They hadn't been too worried; Dallas had always been a bit of a spontaneous kid, and he had given them a fairly good excuse of being short on cash. And he'd always come wandering back in a few weeks, if he didn't get arrested.

But Ellie couldn't seem to process the news. She sat there, gaping at him, her silvery globes so heart-crushingly lost.

"Dallas is _gone?"_

* * *

**GASP!**

**Hello everyone, and thank you once more for the lovely, lovely reviews! **

**It means a lot to me that at least a few of you didn't cringe at the kiss scene? I know its a big hit/miss thing, so I'm sorry if I disappointed anyone! Good news: There will be more where that came from! Also, I'm trying to update faster, if you guys noticed! I think this chapter took less than a month this time!**

**Also, I'm betting some of you are wondering why Johnny isn't as timid and skittish as he is in the books. Well, if I remember correctly, it was that Soc attack that made him like that, and these chapters take place WAY before that. Therefore, right now he's just plain old Johnny, being a regular boy with the added bonus of being a nice cutie-patootie.**

_**Let me know what you think! Why do you think Dallas left? Love or hate Ellie's mother/grandmother? Do you guys think Ellie can get over her first 'heartbreak'?**_

_**REVIEW, REVIEW, REVIEW!**_

**Review, Review, Review!**


	17. Lonely Boy

C17.

He wandered towards the entrance of the gas station, peaking through the window of the store only to find it empty. Faltering for a moment, he considering snatching a few items while the chance presented itself, but he quickly moved on. Without the risk, shop-lifting was hardly enticing.

There was a faint sound of radio chatter coming from the auto shop attached to the back of the building, so he followed it. The garage doors were swung wide open, and inside, a shiny red thunderbird sat with it's hood hiked up. Rounding the machine, he spotted Soda with his face a foot away from the motor, tightening a bolt with blackened hands. He was cursing lowly to himself as his mop of blonde hair fell out of it's greased hairdo.

He let out a low whistle in appreciation of the car and Soda jumped, knocking his head on the hood.

"Son-of-a-bitch!" Soda shouted, clutching his head to ease the pain. Looking up to glare at the newcomer, his face lit up with shock and excitement instead. "Dally!"

Grinning back, Dally capped his friend roughly on the shoulder as a greeting before turning back to the car. "Who's ride is this?"

"Paul Reed's brother brought it over a few days ago." Soda explained, grabbing a rather grimy rag from the top of the big tool box. "The breaks need fixing and he wants it louder."

Dallas nodded silently, leaning down to take a good look of the car's interior.

"It's good to see you back." The other boy continued. "You've been gone for a damn long time. We were beginning to think you ran off."

"Where to?" Dallas snorted. "Nah, you idiots would die of boredom without me."

Soda smiled his mega-watt smile and, filled with homecoming relief, Dallas smiled back with a chuckle. It has hard staying away from the boys for too long, he admitted to himself. He liked the safety; there was never a time in their presence where he felt as if he should be on guard. They relaxed and tempered him, more than they would ever know.

He loved them, in his own distant way.

Soda gestured to the car. "I could use a hand, if you don't have anywhere else to be. Steve's off today."

Dallas nodded, despite the nagging pull he felt in his chest. He _did_ have somewhere else he wanted to be, but the coward in him kept his feet rooted to the spot. He was safe from confrontation inside the DX... at least for the time being.

He helped Soda put the car on jacks and watched as the kid crawled underneath. Passing an array of tools down for him, Dallas admired Soda's skill in cars. For as long as he could remember, he and Steve had been tinkering with anything that had a motor. First with Soda's father, and then eventually at the DX. Ever since, the two had been souping up cars for any Greaser that could afford to pay them. It was easy cash, especially when they didn't have to pay for a lot of the parts. It had been Steve's idea, and Soda was never far behind when his best friend found trouble. Eventually, car parts were disappearing all over Tulsa. Particularly Steve's ninth grade teacher's.

But when Soda's parents passed, Darry had made them promise to stop. There was too much to risk if they got caught; the eldest was barely holding on to Soda and Ponyboy as it was. So they had, for a while, but stealing was like an addiction, and once you started, it was impossible to stop until you were caught.

"So how'd the races go?" Soda's voice, muffled by the pounds of metal hovering in front of him, brought Dallas out of his reminiscing.

"It was shit." Dallas admitted, wandering over to the icebox to grab a coke. "Out of four races, I only won _once_. It was the damn horses, man. If they had let me ride Ruby more, I would have won all of them."

Dallas heard Soda's distinct laughter. He always got a kick out of knowing Dallas had named his horse after his mother. It was a long running joke that Dally had harbored a crush on her.

"Kinda seems like a waste of time, going all the way out there for a few measly races." Soda injected, a hint of teasing in his voice.

Dallas shrugged uncomfortably and looked out through the garage doors to the empty stretch of cement that was used as a driveway to get cars in and out of the shop. "I got a few hundred bucks for it. And it was good getting out of the state for a while- cleared my head."

"Yeah?" Soda hummed thoughtfully, and the tone he used was starting to get on Dally's nerves. "Clear your head of what?"

Rolling his eyes, Dallas lit up a cigarette. "What's everyone been up to?"

Soda crawled out from under the car, his face and hands mucky from his work. Standing, he wandered over to where Dallas stood, grabbing his own drink.

"Well," Soda let out a satisfied sigh after a long chug of coke. "Darry is working as hard as ever. Pony's been in a mood lately, and he keeps hanging out with Shepard's brother."

"That must piss Darry off." Dallas grinned, knowing full well how Darry disliked Curly Shepard's influence on his baby brother.

Soda winced. "Yeah, they won't quit bickering."

The other boy clapped him on the back in an attempt to comfort. "They'll get over it."

"This is Darry and Pony we're talking about." Soda snorted, "If anything, they'll just find something else that makes them mad."

Dallas passed the kid his cigarette, unable to say anything more. He wasn't too worried about the fighting that happened between the two brothers. Darry was too hard on Ponyboy and Ponyboy could be a sulky and reckless baby. But only an idiot wouldn't be able to see they loved each other unconditionally.

"What about the rest of them?" He pushed on.

Soda passed the smoke back, now dirtied by his greasy hands. "Johnny's fine. His mom went up to Claremore to visit her sister for the week so his house is pretty quiet. He'll be mighty glad to see you."

Dallas grinned, relieved to know Johnny hadn't been suffering while he was gone. Like all the boys, he always felt a need to protect their group pet, but Dallas knew what it was like to have a dad like Johnny's. He would have torn Johnny's house apart, if the boy only asked.

"Steve and his dad got into a big fight, and now he's staying with Evie."

At that, Dallas snorted. "What's new?"

Every once in a while, Steve and his father's tempers would clash and a tremendous fight would ensue. Steve was almost always kicked out. Then he'd hide in Evie's room for a week or so until they'd both calm down and he'd wander back home as if nothing had ever happened. Dallas pitied Steve a hell of a lot less than he pitied Johnny. Steve fought back; Johnny just took it.

"And Two-Bit's perfectly fine." Soda finished off, "Though he sporting a nice black-eye from Shepard."

"He had it coming." Dallas told him, more amused than anything. There was never fight Two-Bit didn't start.

"How're you doing, then?" He pressed, having known Soda long enough to realize he wouldn't speak about himself unless pushed. "How's your girl?"

His big grin got wider, stretching across his movie-star face and making him look like he was on some sort of advertisement for toothpaste.

"She's good... real good." Soda admitted giddily. "It's getting pretty serious."

"Yeah? You in _love_?" Dallas crushed his finished cigarette on the floor and nudged Soda.

Soda picked up a few bolts he had left lying on the counter beside him, avoiding Dally's eyes. "Might be, Dal."

That gave Dallas pause. Soda always had a girl on his arm- even back in the day when they still had cooties. He was good to them; better than most Greasers. But they had been fleeting interests, quickly replaced by a newer, prettier model in a matter of months. Admittedly, Dallas had always assumed the only thing Soda would and could ever love was his family and friends.

"Whimp." Dallas joked, only because he was too shocked to say anything wittier. He felt as if he had missed years worth of events in a mere couple weeks.

"Whatever." Soda shrugged, turning back with a new all-knowing smile. "Unlike you, I don't have the willpower to deny myself something I want."

Waving for Dallas to follow him, they passed through the garage and went inside the store section of the DX. The whole lot was deserted, most likely because of the heavy rain clouds looming over the town, threatening to spill over any moment. Still, it was aerie without the usual chatter of fawning girls or the rumble of car engines.

"Speaking of..." Dallas muttered, "How's our little Soc?"

Soda's eyebrows rose in surprise. He must have expected him to put up more of a fight, but the truth was, Dally was sick of pretending he didn't give a shit. He had tried to convince himself that Ellie was simply a temporary fixation- a distraction from his dead-end relationship with Sylvia. But seeing her everywhere made things worse, and then kissing her...

_That_ had been the final nail in his coffin.

So he had packed up, told the boys he was going off to race with Slash-J, and banned himself from thinking of her. It had worked at first; taking care of the horses and training for races had kept him busy enough. But no matter how much work he did, there was still those few minutes in the day where he was forced to slow down. Wondering how the boys were doing was the first thing on his mind, naturally, but thinking of them always lead to _her_, and then _catching _himself thinking of her just pissed him off. How could such an itty-bitty broad turn his brain into mush? It wasn't as if she was special. He'd been with chicks with nicer figures, wittier personalities, and looser morals. She was the kind of chick that he only ever flirted with to piss off their boyfriend.

By his last week, had become so testy and explosive that he was spooking the horses and getting in fights with the other workers. It was nearly a relief when his boss threw him on the train home.

By the time he got into Tulsa, he had given up entirely. If fate wanted him to pine over Ellie like a lonely puppy, then _fuck it_. Who was he to deny himself? He'd just have to let it out of his system and pray to God he'd loose interest after a few indulgent weeks. The boys would just have to forgive him if he broke her damn heart.

"Ellie's doing well..." Soda pressed a button on the register. The cash drawer popped open and he went to work sorting and counting the money. "Her grandmother was in the hospital for a week, and I guess Darry got a call from her dad 'cause he made her check in by the house at least once a day to see how she was doing. You should have been there, man. He went all 'surrogate-brother' on her and even made her do her homework with Pony. It's kind of adorable, actually. I always wanted a kid-sister."

Something in the way Soda spoke made Dally nervous. It was as if there was more to be said.

"But she's doin' okay, right?" He pressed, scratching the silvery-gold tufts of hair on the top of his neck.

Soda made a smile that looked more like a grimace. "She's doing more than okay, Dal, but maybe you ought to just ask her yourself."

* * *

Ellie kicked off her kitten heels by the front door, shivering in her blouse. It had begun to drizzle after school and by the time she had rolled into her driveway, the clouds had cast Tulsa into a dreary, grey wonderland. Rapid droplets spattered rhythmically against the roof and windows, coating her home in mid-summer rain. Passing the living room, she was glad to find Lord and Lady sleeping at the foot of the couch, dry as a bone.

Leaving them to their rest, she climbed the stairs to the washroom she shared with her grandmother. It was a brightly lit room, made sunny by the white and yellow tiles that patterned around the bottom half of the walls. Ellie paid it no mind as she peeled her blouse away and tugged her semi-wet skirt down her legs.

Catching her reflection in the mirror, she took a brief moment to examine herself, noting the growing length of her hair and slowly maturing curves rather critically. But then she patted her belly in good humor and shrugged before hopping in the shower. The warmth of the water chased away the chill she had gained in the rain, but she didn't have time to enjoy it. Washing quickly, it only took a few minutes before she shut off the taps and nestled herself in a thick towel.

Ellie padded into the bedroom, stretching out the muscles on her shoulder and neck to relieve some of the tension that had grown from sitting at a desk for far too long.

And there he was.

Dallas Winston sat perched on her open windowsill, rainwater dripping from his wavy locks and running down the black leather of his jacket. He was hunched over, a cigarette dangling between his lips as he smirked.

"Hey."

Her breath caught in her throat. He looked...new, somehow. Everything about him was relatively the same, yet different. His hands were torn up and callused, his skin had taken on an olive hue, and he had developed a few more muscles from the racing... but it was still _Dallas Winston_.

Ellie felt a faint, far-away realization that she was naked, covered only by a layer of towel, but it was a single drop of water in the crashing waves of her thoughts and memories.

"Dallas..." Ellie's thoughts froze over in their stream and she gaped wordlessly.

He smiled a rare, genuine smile that made the corner of his eyes crinkle.

"You miss me?" He asked, sliding off the windowsill and fully entering her room. Running a hand through his hair to shake off the excess water, she felt his gaze roam down her figure before meeting her eyes once more. The feelings she had vigorously cast aside nearly two months ago sprang up inside her as if they had simply always been there, threading through her chest and squeezing like deeply-rooted weeds.

"Y-you're back..." She muttered, shivering as he came to lean on the post of her bed, less than a meter away from her. Her fingers itched to reach out to him and touch the rough pads of his hands, the sculpted valley of his cheeks, the wet tufts of his hair- anything.

He gave her a funny look. "Well, I do live here, dumb-ass."

Abruptly, her longing for him was replaced with an equally familiar buzz of annoyance.

"I need to put clothes on." She said, rolling her eyes at him. "Go wait outside."

Waving his hand dismissively, Dallas turned his face away instead. "Nah. Hurry up, will you?"

Ellie glared at the back of his head for a moment. Who did he think he was? She hadn't forgotten how horribly cold he had been to her before he left. It had ruined what could have been the best night of her life, tainting the memory of her first kiss forever. She was _mad_.

...So why hadn't she thrown him out of her house yet?

Feeling a headache coming on, Ellie went into her closet and found a plain navy dress with a Peter-Pan collar and sleeves that came to her elbows. Tugging it over her frame, she glanced at herself in the mirror before turning back to Dallas, half expecting him to be watching her again.

But he wasn't. His eyes were still faithfully glued to the wall as he yawned tiredly.

"How was it?" Ellie inquired, sitting down beside him. "The racing, I mean. Did you win any?"

Dally snapped back to her, his face twisted up in irritation. "Tons."

She sent him a thin-lipped smile and turned away to look at her hands, folded neatly on her lap. "Everyone missed you a lot. They must have been excited to see you."

"I wouldn't know. I haven't gone to see them yet." He shrugged, popping his cigarette back in his mouth for another drag. Ellie snatched it from his lips before he could inhale.

"No smoking in my room." She told him, getting up to throw it away only to find herself being held in place by the strength of his hand.

"Ellie." He called, soft and serious. She was tugged back down, her knee pressing against his. "Did you miss me?"

It took everything in her to pull away, but she did.

"Dallas Winston." She chuckled softly to herself, staring at the smoldering smoke still in between her digits. "What are you even doing in my room?"

Dally grabbed her face again a little less tender. Ellie was forced to look at him, her chin held in his fingers. There was anger- as there always seemed to be- hardening the lines of his face, but his cobalt eyes were pleading.

"I _thought_ I was tryin' to apologize." Dally grumbled, "But you're making it real damn hard, you know that?"

"Good!" Ellie cried, wriggling away. She stood and flung his cigarette out of the window, wishing she could do the same to him.

"It should be hard! It should be the hardest thing you'll ever do!" She crossed her arms over her chest and glared at him. "In fact, don't even try it, Dallas. I told you- _I told you _to stop pretending to be nice!"

Dallas rose an eyebrow at her as she stood in front of him. Pushing off the bed, he approached her in a slow, purposeful manner. "You gunna stomp your foot while you're at it?"

"There he is." Ellie said bitterly, inching away. "Theres the jerk I know."

It annoyed her to see him so unfazed, as if he couldn't be bothered to take her feelings seriously. She had been too compliant to him for far too long. But things would change- they had to. She wasn't going to come running back to him just because he was home. Tulsa hadn't stood still while he was gone, and things had changed far too much in the past month.

He stopped just as Ellie felt her back press up against the dresser, brass knobs digging into her shoulder blades.

"I _am_ a jerk." Dallas admitted, running his knuckles up the creamy, exposed skin of her arm before flattening his palm along her neck, thumbing the indent behind her ear. "But I'm _your_ jerk."

Ellie felt herself soften and a smile tugged insistently at her lips.

That _bastard._

But then the familiar rumble of a mustang echoed from down the street and the realization of her situation set in.

"Dallas," She gasped urgently, grabbing his hand as it came to rest on her waist. "Dallas, I need to tell you something!"

He smiled, having seen the forgiveness on her face, and it nearly tore her heart in two. "What?"

The engine was cut, and silence filled the room once more.

Ellie bit her lip timidly. Looking at him directly was too painful to bare, so she focused instead on the collar of his leather jacket. "You-you were gone for a _long_ time..."

Dallas pulled away slightly, his hands tense against her skin. "Ellie, what the fuck are you trying to get at?"

A knock rattled her front could hear lady barking at the noise from upstairs.

Ellie dared to peer up at Dallas, only to find him glaring at her with paralyzing mistrust.

"Dal-"

He tore away from her and disappeared through her bedroom door. Frightened by his sudden and overwhelming change in mood, she chased after him down the stairs. Finally catching up to him as he stood by the front door, they watched in uneasy silence as a man's form came to be outlined in the window, just barely seen through the curtains.

"Open the door." Dallas growled.

Ellie blanched, clutching at her elbows as she approached. Sensing the tension, Lady dipped her tail down and slunk away from the door, going off to meet her counterpart in the living room.

Not knowing what else to do, Ellie turned the handle.

A tall, muscular blonde grinned from across the doorway. He had a navy Letterman jacket with a golden '_R'_ covering his broad shoulders while a football helmet dangled from his hand. "Hey, sorry I'm late. Coach made us stay after practice to listen to some weird speech about teamwork."

"Hey... Ben." She greeted sullenly, wincing as his eyes traveled to Dallas. Pushing the door open wider, she took a long, shaky breath. "Ben, this is Dallas. He's a real good friend of Johnny's. Dallas, this is Ben... my boyfriend."

"It's nice to meet you." Ben smiled and lifted his hand for Dallas to shake, but he was unable to hide his unease.

Dallas stepped forward, his eyes cold and indifferent as they had been the day she met him. For the briefest of moment, it seemed as if he was going to accept Ben's hand in his. Ellie felt a fleeting spark of hope.

And then Dally's fist connected with her boyfriend's nose.

Ben flew down to the planks of her porch, letting his helmet slip out of his grasp. It slipped down the few steps and rolled down the lane as if it was trying to run away.

"What the hell?" Ben hissed furiously, clutching his nose.

Dallas didn't respond. He grabbed Ben by the scruff of his shirt, lifting his fist up to hit him again. But this time Ben was expecting it, and he reached up and slugged him in the stomach before he could do any more damage.

"What's wrong with you, you stupid fucking Grease!" Ben shouted, standing up. When he took his hand from his nose, Ellie could see blood dripping down his lips and chin onto his t-shirt.

"I'm gonna bust your ugly mug open." Dallas told him nonchalantly, a twisted smirk appearing on his face as he straightened.

Ellie screamed as Ben hit Dallas again, catching his eye. Behind her, Lady and Lord had come out of hiding and were trying to get onto the porch. Thinking quickly, she slammed the screen door in their faces to keep them out of the way.

"Stop!" She squeezed herself in between the two boys and held her hands up to keep them apart. "Stop! What are you _doing_?"

Dallas stared down at her. Then he waved his hand and let out a cruel, empty laugh.

"Who knows?" He snorted, fixing the collar of his jacket. Pushing past the two, he stepped down the porch steps and started across the lawn. "Enjoy your new Ken-Doll, Princess."

* * *

**Hello lovelies! Sorry I made you wait so long, but I wanted everyone to kind of... get the feel of how much time has passed between the events of this chapter and the last chapter. I hope it worked, and I hope it didn't piss you guys off too much?**

**I bet you were all like 'finally, they're gunna be together!' Jokes on you! But have faith and patience, and I will deliver in the next few chaps.**

**So, Dallas punches Ben. I'm sure some of you are very happy. I'm sure some of you are cringing at the cliche-ness of it all. If you're wondering, Ben would have won. I mean, come on, he's a football player! Oh Ben... go away so Ellie and Dallas can get to boning.**

_**Let me know what you think! Is the story going the way you wanted? Do you feel like there's something missing? Is everyone still fairly in character?**_

_**Review!**_


	18. Us Against the World

18.

"Gosh, it's too early." Ellie muttered tiredly as she and Johnny ate breakfast in her kitchen. She was in her pajamas and her frizzy brown hair was still in yesterday's pig-tails.

"When's your boyfriend picking you up?" Johnny asked, stirring a few morsels of his cereal around in his bowl. He had taken to spending breakfast at Ellie's, mostly because if he didn't, he wouldn't see her for days.

"In around an hour." Ellie replied, checking the clock. "Hey, how long do you think it takes to drive to Keystone Lake, anyway? I hate long car rides."

Johnny shrugged. "I've never been."

Ellie grabbed her own bowl and dumped it in the sink before beginning the process of washing all the dishes. "Me neither, but Ben says they go out every summer, so I bet it's nice. Maybe we should go one day."

"Yeah, if you ever have the time." Johnny responded, wincing at his blatant irritation.

Ellie must have heard it clear as day, because she turned her head to blink clueless in his direction. "What's that mean?"

"It means you're never around." He admitted with a sigh, dropping his spoon into his bowl with a clang. "Ever since Dallas came home, you've been avoiding everyone like we got rabies or something."

Ellie turned back to the dishes, but not without letting Johnny see a glimpse of guilt in her eyes. "I know..." She whispered, barely heard over the rush of water. "I know... but..."

Johnny felt the sinking of guilt in his chest. Grabbing his bowl, he came up and dropped it on the counter beside her. Then he grabbed a dishrag and started drying the mugs she had placed on the dish-rack.

"Darry wants to meet Ben." Johnny told her with a teasing tone in his voice.

Ellie tipped her head back and laughed, her gloved hands elbow-deep in dishwater. "He'll make one hell of a father."

"That's just Darry, though. He's always been overprotective... like his mom." Johnny smiled. "He has a funny way of showin' it, but he's taken a liking to you."

Ellie put the last dish on the rack and drained the water from the sink before hanging up her gloves to dry. Taking a another dishrag, she started helping Johnny wipe.

"Maybe, but I'm guessing the money my dad pays him to watch me doesn't hurt, either."

Johnny's eyebrows shot up. He had known about the deal Darry had made with her dad a long time ago; it was a bit difficult hiding that much money in a gang that was so tight-knit. But he was embarrassed to find out she knew too.

"You know about that?" Johnny asked nervously. He didn't want her to think they were just hanging out with her for the money- that wasn't the case at all. They _liked_ her- even if some of them weren't so keen on showing it.

Ellie gave him a look. "Johnny, you think Darry is the first person my dad has ever paid to watch me? He used to pay my teachers, our neighbors, family friends... pretty much anyone who saw me on a regular basis."

Johnny took the stack of clean plates and stuffed them in the cupboard. "He must really love you, then."

"I used to think it was because he was psychotically protective, but then the whole... criminal operation thing happened." Ellie shrugged hopelessly, "I guess he has more enemies than I thought."

She passed him a few cups to put on the higher shelves that she couldn't reach. Johnny took them gladly; he liked helping her out when he could. Most of the time it was the other way around.

"You really didn't know, then? After all these years?" He asked after a lapse of silence.

"No, and honestly, I wished it had stayed that way." Ellie reached for their dishrags and hung them on the oven handle to dry, keeping her hands busy while Johnny put a few forks away.

"I dream about them, sometimes." She admitted quietly. "It's always in this house, not the one in Chicago. And the cops come busting through the door, shouting real loud and kicking things around. Then then grab my whole family- even my baby brother, and they take us into the backyard and make us line up. Then they start shooting us down."

Johnny blinked at her. He hadn't realized that she was still torn up about her family. She had stopped talking about it months ago, so he had assumed she had gotten over it. After all, it wasn't exactly staring her in the face every day.

"They arn't gunna do that." Johnny reassured her, reaching up to muss her hair like the other boys tended to do.

The corners of her mouth tipped upwards in a smile. "I know. It's just a dream."

Johnny smiled back in relief. He could always trust Ellie not to dwell. She was strong that way- stronger than any of them. Even Darry, the toughest kid on the east side, didn't have the kind of strength to let go the way Ellie could.

"What dream?" Her grandmother asked gruffly as she came wandering into the kitchen. She was wearing a faded green dress that looked to be from the forties, her gray hair put up in curls.

"You look nice today, Mrs. Carter." Johnny greeted with a pleasant smile.

She eyed him mock-suspiciously. "Stop trying to flirt with me, boy."

"Grandmother!" Ellie sighed, smiling as she rolled her eyes. Johnny laughed as he grabbed a bowl and passed it to Ellie, who filled it up with cereal and milk before handing it to the elder.

Johnny held out a spoon for her. "Here you go."

Ellie's grandmother took it, giving him a little pat on the hand in gratitude. "You know, I pray every night that Ellie falls for you instead of that peanut-brained boy she's been wasting her time with."

"Oh, if only." Ellie muttered dryly.

Johnny nudged her side and told her grandmother, "I'm saving myself for Colleen Corby."

* * *

Dallas scuffed his shoe in the dry dirt, leaning against the fence in front of the Curtis' house. Ponyboy sat a few feet behind him on the porch, a cigarette in his hand as they both stared down the street.

Pony made a few rings out of his cigarette smoke and said, "I'm bored."

"You wanna go find a little trouble?" Dallas asked with a smirk, turning around to face the younger boy.

"What'cha mean by that?" Pony's eyebrows cocked. "'Cause your definition of 'a little trouble' is a lot different than mine."

Dallas shrugged and nodded agreeably. "'A little trouble' means maybe go lift some smokes from the store, find a few chicks, and possibly start a good ol' scuffle with a Soc."

"What's 'a lot of trouble' mean, then?"

"Means..." Dally sat down on the porch beside him. "Means... well, you'll know when it happens, kid."

Pony finished off his cigarette and flicked it onto the dead grass of their lawn. "How?

"'Cause you'll be locked up in a cell." Dallas snorted with laughter, clapping Pony too-roughly on his shoulder.

Pony glared; he always had a thing against being rough-housed. Him being the youngest, it happened more often than not. It didn't help that the kid was so fucking sensitive. Dallas always thought he needed a little hardening-up. But his brothers always coddled the kid. No fights, no parties, no trouble... all he ever did was sit at home and study. It was no way to live.

"Come on, slugger." Dallas was just getting to his feet when he spotted Johnny and Ellie coming out of her front door. Pony got up beside him, and they both watched as Johnny grabbed something from her hand and gave her a quick hug. Then he cut across her lawn and hopped the fence, heading in their direction.

"Hey Johnny." Pony met him at the gate, opening the latch for him. "Where you been?"

Dallas gave him a pat on the back as a greeting, but kept silent as he puffed on his cigarette and followed the girl's form as she disappeared back inside.

"Ate breakfast with Ellie." He explained, holding up a single key. "I'm borrowing her car for the day."

It was easy to get Ellie's car. She really didn't care much what happened to it. And ever since she had started dating that Soc, it spent most of it's time sitting in her driveway while she got to ride around in his mustang. Johnny took it out the most. He didn't mind that it was a piece of junk; it took him from one place to another, and it was certainly better than walking.

They piled into the car. Dallas had insisted on driving, and the other two didn't make much of a fuss about it. He hated how slowly people drove; it made him crazy just seeing it.

A couple blocks down, they found Steve on his way over the the Curtis'. Johnny moved into the back seat with Ponyboy so Steve could sit up front. When he got in, they could see a few scabs marring the side of his face.

"You back home now?" Dallas asked as they passed the train tracks.

He nodded. "Wasn't planning to, but Evie practically dragged me."

Dally grinned cheekily. "She couldn't stand seeing your ugly mug every morning, huh?"

Steve punched his arm so hard that he lost control of the car and it veered into the left lane for a few terrifying seconds.

"Quit it, will you?" Pony grumbled, clutching his seat-belt. The boys snickered.

"You ain't looking too tidy yourself, Dal." Steve commented as they pulled up to a market a little ways into Soc territory. It was easy to lift in the richer stores- half the workers there were either uncaring about loosing a few dollars worth of goods, or took them as real JD types and were too scared to call them out.

Hopping out of the driver's seat, Dallas rubbed his hand against the side of his face, feeling the dull ache of bruises. His cheek was swollen, but his black eye wasn't too bad. Though he hadn't seen Ellie's Soc around, he liked to think the fucker looked just as bad.

"It was a matter of honor." He explained vaguely, ignoring his friends' incredulous looks.

They were met with a swoosh of air-conditioning as they entered. The place was packed with housewives and their little toddlers, stuffing their carts with fruits and vegetables and fresh deli-meat. Half of the shit they were picking up Dallas didn't even know the name of. He was on a steady diet of cigarettes and booze. Broccoli would only mess up his metabolism.

They made a bee-line to the candy isle. One side was stacked with soda-pop, and the other side had buckets and buckets full of treats.

"He got into a fight with Ellie's boyfriend and now he refuses to acknowledge her existence, let alone his big fat crush on her." Ponyboy supplied, dodging Dally's swinging hand while simultaneously stuffing bubblegum into his half-zipped sweater.

"Shut the fuck up, will you?" Dallas snapped, feeling his temper rise. "I punched him 'cause he's a Soc. It was instinct."

Steve snorted. "I thought it was honor."

Dallas stuffed his pockets with a few handfuls of sour candy. A little boy around seven stared at him from a little ways own the isle, his mouth hung open. Dally barred his teeth and cursed until he ran away. He felt like being a real asshole today, and what Dallas wanted, he got.

"Whatever. I'm over the bitch." He dismissed. Turning around, he was surprised by Johnny's inflamed glare.

"Hey, don't call her that." Steve grumbled, interrupting Johnny as he opened his mouth. "She gave you a chance, and you blew it. And maybe she doesn't mean anything to you anymore, but she means something' to somebody."

An inferno of untapped anger burned in Dally's chest, boiling and steaming and hissing for release. Who the _fuck_ did Steve think he was, telling him what to do? _He_ wasn't the one that left for two months trying to get over the broad! _He_ wasn't the one who came crawling back on his hands and knees, only to find her shacking up with a football-playing ape! _He_ wasn't the one who wanted to set the guy's fucking house on fire!

Dallas wanted to punch something, and Steve's face had begun to sound like a real good option.

He hadn't realized he was coming up to him with his hands in fists until Ponyboy clasped him on the shoulder.

"Hey, save it for the Socs, alright? There were a few that just went down isle five."

Dallas shook Pony's hand off, but said nothing as he turned away.

Steve stuffed a plastic bag full of chocolate bits and hid it in his back pocket, and by the time he was done, both of their rage had dissipated. Fighting with your own kind- let alone your own gang- was never worth it in the long run. Even with their tempers running, they knew that. It was more grief than anything.

"I've got a better idea." He said mischievously. "How much you wanna bet at least one of them has got a real sweet ride?"

They exchanged grins.

Stuffing their the rest of their pockets with candy and a few cigarettes by the checkout, they hurried outside and scanned the parking lot. The Socs' cars weren't hard to find. Out of all the family cars that the housewives drove, there was only a few really nice, souped-up cars sitting around. They looped the lot once over before Dallas saw something he liked.

"See that Camero?" He nodded over to a red car a few meters away. They inched towards it slowly, like a pack of wolves looking for dinner.

Pony lagged behind, anxiously stuffing his hands in his pockets.

"Maybe... we shouldn't." He mumbled as Steve rounded the car, stopping at the driver's door. "I can't get into this kind of trouble. Darry'll kill me."

"Then you better scram." Steve said bluntly, testing the handle. There was a brief 'click' and then the door swung open.

"Dumb shits." Dallas laughed, "Come on, Ponyboy. They're practically begging for it."

Steve ducked his head and took the driver's seat while Dallas jogged over to the other side. Johnny and Pony wavered on the pavement for a few more seconds, their faces cast over with uneasy expressions.

"We'll bring it back in a few minutes, Pony." Johnny put his hand on his friend's back. "We're just gonna ride it around the block a few times."

Pony didn't look too convinced, but he let Johnny tug him into the backseat without complaint.

"Just loop around, Steve." Johnny went on, "Me and Pony are too adorable for prison."

Steve picked around his thin sweater before producing a Flathead screwdriver.

"I get the feeling this isn't your first time stealing a car." Dallas joked, watching him roughly stab the screw deep into the ignition. Turning it it a few times, the car eventually rumbled to life.

They howled rambunctiously as they tore out of the parking lot, leaving tire mark streaks in their wake.

"Shit!" Steve shouted to them. "This baby is fast!"

Exiting onto the main road, they kept an inconspicuous speed until the traffic died down and they passed the train tracks.

"Go by my place." Dallas suggested as they ripped down the empty side street. "There's the big lot we can drive around in."

He could feel the air whipping across him from the open window as the other cars blurred into indistinguishable colors. He shut his eyes for a brief moment, reveling in the heart-pounding, body-shivering beauty of it. No matter what type of racing, be it on a horse or in a damn nice car- it was as good to him as getting high.

Buck's place was weirdly empty by the time they had arrived. Dallas didn't have the faintest idea where his roommate had gone. Buck was the type of dirtbag that didn't have any real friends, let alone a place to be. His best guess was that he finally realized Tim had been cheating him on their bootlegging deal.

Dallas scoffed at the thought. Buck was probably dead in the gutter by now. He was a big monster of a man, but Shepard had a gang and double the brains. In fact, it was one of his outfit that had done Buck the favor of knocking his teeth out a few years back.

"Can I give it a try?" Pony asked from the backseat, looking surprisingly eager considering he had been practically dragged into the vehicle.

"No-" Steve started, but Dallas cut him off.

"Sure, kid."

Steve shot him a dark look. "He doesn't know how to drive. He'll end up crashing into the porch."

"Awe, come on, Steve." Dallas grinned as they stopped in front of the house. "Let the kid have fun before he ends up in juvi for car theft."

Steve stewed in his seat for a few seconds before he hit the steering wheel in frustration. "Alright, damn it! Everyone out of the car. Pony, get up here. I'm gonna teach you how to drive."

They all hustled out of the car before he could change his mind.

Dallas wagged his finger at the youngest boy as he passed. "_Don't_ fuckin' hit my porch."

He and Johnny went inside to grab beers before sitting themselves on the front steps to watch the spectacle.

"That's clutch, break and gas..." They heard Steve mutter to Ponyboy from a little ways away. "Those are the gears one to five, plus reverse..."

After a few minutes of explaining, Steve let him turn on the car. The two on the porch laughed into their drinks as the Camero lurched forward unsteadily and Steve's shouting grew louder.

"What're you doing? I said press gently, you idiot!"

"I am pressing gently!"

"They really don't like each other, huh?" Dallas noted out loud.

"Steve is a grump." Johnny let out a light sigh and leaned back so that his elbows were propped on the stair above him. "He doesn't like Ponyboy the way older brothers don't like being forced to let their baby siblings tag along. But Pony'll grow up eventually. I think they'll be fine once they both mature a bit."

Dallas turned his head and stared curiously at Johnny. "When did you become such an intellecter?"

"It's pronounced as 'an intellectual'." Johnny smiled. "I've been hanging out with Ponyboy too much."

Dallas laughed and tousled the boy's hair. He was glad to see Johnny doing so well. The kid had clean, lightly-worn clothes on. They were hand-me-downs from Steve and Two-bit, but they fit pretty well on his newly washed form.

"How's your parents?" Dallas asked soberly. He hated asking, but he knew Johnny would keep it all locked deep inside unless someone pushed him to let it out.

His friend stared intently at the car as it sped in dangerous laps around the lot, spewing up a thick cloud of dust.

"They're fine." He answered tensely. "I've been coming home late and leaving early every morning, so I don't see a lot of them. Sometimes I'll crash at the Curtis' or Ellie's."

"Ellie's?" Dallas questioned before he could stop himself.

Johnny shot him a knowing smirk. "Yeah, 'the bitch', as you like to call her. Sometimes I'll crawl in through her window and we cuddle _all_ night."

Dallas's heart began to beat in a ferocous pace. His hand dug deep into the rotting wood of the steps while his other strangled the beer bottle. "What the _fuck_?"

"I'm kidding!" Johnny shouted quickly, scooting away as he tried to control his laughter. "Shit, Dallas. You look like you're gonna try'na stab me with your glare alone!"

"I am." He answered moodily, turning away as wave after wave of relief crashed over him. He was always joking about it, but the thought of Ellie and Johnny together made him feel uncontrollable. After all, it was Johnny who was always there for her when she was going through a rough time; it was Johnny who she trusted her secrets with; it was Johnny that she always greeted first. When the dust cleared, it would be Johnny who deserved her, not him.

Dallas could kill the little bastard, if he didn't love him so much.

Johnny's laughter faded into lively chuckles. "You got it bad, my friend."

"Fuck you, Johnny." He took a chug of his beer to cool his temper.

"So what?" Johnny pushed on, completely un-intimidated. "You just gonna give up?"

"She made it pretty clear she didn't want anything to do with me." Dallas replied, hunting for cigarettes in his jeans.

Johnny passed him his own packet. "Was that before or after you punched her boyfriend?"

"What are you? A relationship counselor? Have you even touched a girl before?" Dallas snapped, lighting the smoke before tossing the carton back to the other boy. What was he supposed to do? Get into a death match with a football player so he could claim her? He wasn't a full-blown caveman. If Ellie didn't want to see him, then he would move on. He'd experienced far more painful rejections from much hotter girls.

Johnny shrugged. "I just want you two idiots to be happy, that's all."

"Who says she'd make me happy?" Dallas asked, his eyebrows raised as the Camero cruised by them. Pony and Steve's argumentative voices rose and fell as they made their lap. Turning his head to watch them, Dallas noted how quickly Pony was learning the ropes. It wasn't suprising; Darry drove with speed and skill, and Soda was a pretty good drag-racer. It made sense that it ran in the family.

"Maybe she won't." Johnny admitted casually, "But you certainly ain't happy in your current state. I think she'd be good for you."

"Good for me..." He repeated in a sarcastic tone. "You know what would be good for me? A nice lay. And I ain't getting that from _her_."

Johnny let out a laugh that was clearly at the boy's expense.

"Good for me..." Dallas repeated Johnny's words with sarcasm. "Why did I ever bother with the broad?"

His friend paused in comical thought before answering, "Well, it's been said that men date women who remind them of their mothers."

"I'm pretty sure my mother was a prostitute."

"I bet she was a real nice prostitute, though."

Dally was quiet for quite some time. It wasn't until both his beer and smoke had dwindled into nothing did he turn back to Johnny. His friend was half-asleep on the porch, his eyes almost shut as he yawned in intervals. Just barely visible in the mid-day light, week old bruises peaked out from under the kid's collar.

"Why don't you just run away?" Dallas asked softly enough that he didn't really expect Johnny to hear him.

Johnny's eyes shut fully. "I'm not brave like that... and it's not like I have anywhere to go."

"You can come live with me at Buck's."

"And what? Quit school and get some shitty job in a factory like my pops?" Johnny mumbled, "Anyway, I don't wanna leave my mother alone with him. I like to think I'm taking the brunt of the beatings for her."

Dally's expression shifted into angry disbelief. "Your mother hits you too."

Johnny smiled a tiny grin that looked painfully apologetic. "Yeah... But that's just 'cause I stress her out..."

"Johnnycake," Dallas said with a tone of soberness that caught Johnny's attention immediately. A rare expression of weariness donned his sharp face- a souvenir from a hard life. "Johnnycake, don't you ever let yourself think- not for one fucking second- that you deserve any of that bullshit."

Johnny looked away first, staring into his empty beer bottle. A few seconds later, Pony and Steve came racing by dangerously fast. The car wheels sprayed a cloud of dust into the air that forced them into a coughing fit.

"Enough!" Steve could be heard shouting from the passenger side. "You're going to get us killed, you lunatic!"

The Camero screeched to a halt on the opposite side of the lot, and through the window they saw Steve grabbing Pony's collar as he cussed and screamed angrily.

"Better break it up." Johnny muttered, leaving his empty bottle on the porch beside Dally's as both of them stood.

Crossing the lot, they waved away more airborne dust. As they went along, Pony and Steve's fight only became louder and more violent. It was comical to see them standing by the hood, pushing at each other's shoulders without either one of them going as far as throwing the first punch. Johnny was right- they loved each other deep down... very deep down.

Pony flipped Steve the finger before crawling into the back seat.

* * *

Steve dropped them all off on a main road, only a block away from the Curtis' before he sped off in the Camero. He said he was planning on returning it, but they all knew he would strip it to it's bare bones first. Those parts were quality stuff.

"He's such an asshole." Pony muttered as they began the short walk home. "I don't know how Soda can deal with him."

"Yeah, well he was nice enough to teach you how to drive, wasn't he?" Dallas replied, hitting the kid lightly on the back of his head for his griping.

Pony tried to dodge but got smacked anyway. Rubbing his neck with one hand, he pulled out a little plastic bag of candy with his other. "Yeah, and it would have been fun if he hadn't yelled at me the whole time."

Johnny took a few candies when Pony offered it to him.

"Steve's just got a temper." He supplied, taking a bite out of a piece of licorice. "Anyway, you did pretty good out there."

Dallas grunted in agreement. "Maybe one day you're brothers'll let you come to a street race. You have a knack for it, I bet."

Pony grinned and said nothing after that. Though the rest of the walk he spent with his chest puffed out in pride. Johnny and Dallas exchanged amused looks.

As the Curtis' house came into view, Johnny felt a nagging sensation tug at his chest. It didn't take very long to find out what it was.

Rushing down her front steps, Ellie caught the boys by surprise. She was wearing an unusually revealing, pink, floral two-piece bathing suit. She also had on a long, sheer cover-up of the same pattern to cover most of her skin, but her legs and a thin strip of her stomach easily peaked out from underneath as she walked.

Johnny averted his eyes to her face in order to smother his growing discomfort, but what he saw made him feel even worse. Ellie was pale and apprehensive as she stumbled toward them like a new-born lamb.

"Ellie?" He asked once she was in ear shot. "What's wrong?"

"Wheres my car?" She blurted out, ignoring his question. "I need it. Right now."

Pony and Johnny had the decency to look guilty. So _that_ was what had been nagging at him.

"We.. forgot it at the store." Pony supplied, "We stole a Camero instead."

Ellie blinked at them for a moment. conflicting emotions flickered across her face. Then she turned away and nibbled nervously on her lip, distracted once more.

That was truly worrisome. Normally, Ellie would have had a field day if she heard they had done something so illegal. She had a high pitched voice she only used when she was reprimanding. It was equal points annoying and remorse-inducing.

"Oh." She muttered. Turning on her heel, she hurried back the way she came- past Lady and Lord. For once, they seemed to be doing their jobs as guard dogs. They hovered protectively by the fence, eyeing the boys with uncertainty as they inched by them.

"Wait!" Johnny called, following her. He didn't have to look back to know Dallas and Ponyboy weren't far behind. "What's going on? Shouldn't you be at the beach with Ben?"

"We can go and get your car really quick." Pony suggested as they caught up to her on the porch. "I can see Two-Bit's in our driveway. He can give us a lift there!"

"It's too late." Ellie told them. She fumbled helplessly with the screen door latch, her hands shaking so badly that in the end, Pony stepped forward and opened it out of pity.

"Gran!" She called out loudly.

"Will you quit your yelling?" Her grandmother hissed from her position on the living room couch. She had her old, calloused feet bare and set up on the coffee table while she watched _The Dick Van Dyke Show. _"What is it now?"

"They left the car somewhere. It's gone." Ellie answered before her grandmother could even finish her sentence.

Again, Johnny and Ponyboy displayed guilty winces.

"We promise to get it back." Pony muttered quietly.

"Never mind, then." The old woman stated dismissively. "Leave it as is."

Ellie shook her head vigorously and crossed her arms over her chest in an act of shaky resolve. "We _can't_."

Her grandmother clicked her tongue and flicked a hand at them, her temper getting the better of her. "We _can_! And don't talk back to me, young woman. It was your father that got himself into this mess. Let him deal with the consequences! Now will you and your herd get out? I'm trying to watch my shows."

Johnny watched the muscles in Ellie's jaw move as she grit her teeth. It was a trait she had picked up from Dallas; he didn't know whether to find it amusing or horrifying.

Without another word, Ellie left her grandmother to surround herself in the static-noise of the television.

"What's happening?" Johnny asked once they were back in the hallway.

Ellie looked up and stared at him as if she had just realized he was still there- that all of them were still there.

"I..." She hesitated, "I-I... They arrested Danny, my brother."

"For what?" Pony asked, wide-eyed.

Her lips quivered as she tried and failed to speak. It was the last straw for Johnny; something had to be dangerously wrong if _Ellie_ (Queen of the Chatterboxes) was at a loss for words.

"Go wait outside." He instructed to his friends before grabbing her wrist and tugging her past the stairs and into the closest open room. Fatefully, it was the same room she stored the duffle-bags her father had brought with him on his long-ago trip. The room looked untouched, disregarding the intricate spiderweb that had been created in the north-east corner.

Finally alone, Ellie let go of the ram-shackle defenses she had built. Placing her back against the wall, she slid down to the ground in utter exhaustion.

"I got the call this morning. I've been waiting around for you to come back all day." She admitted.

Johnny crouched down in front of her. "I'm sorry... I..."

"You didn't know." Ellie managed to force a small, forgiving smile on her face. "But you can make it up to me by telling me what the heck I'm supposed to do."

He nodded. Balancing on his heels, the thought for a moment before offering, "Why don't you call your father?"

"He's the one who told me they had Danny. Something about drug possession and assault. I don't know for sure- I wasn't listening properly..." Ellie nibbled hard on her lip. Already worn down from a day of gnawing, it tore, and a thin droplet of blood budded without her noticing. "He told me they got a search warrant for the house in Chicago. They stormed in last night, but they didn't find very much. He wants me to get rid of everything we have here, in case they check... But Gosh, Johnny, it's so damn heavy, and I don't know where to put them!"

Ellie sunk deeper into the floor and he caught a glimpse of agony before she hid her ashen face behind her hands. "I don't know what to do!"

"Hey, hey..." Johnny got up and grabbed Ellie's wrists, exposing her expression as she was pulled up to stand. "It's okay, Ellie, it's okay. We'll figure it out, alright?"

Slowly -like a toddler that barely understood words- she nodded her head and brushed away a stray tear that had dribbled along her face. It was obvious she was trying to hold down her emotions. He was surprised they weren't swimming in an ocean of Ellie's cries yet.

"What do I do?" She whimpered.

Despite all his optimism, Johnny hadn't a clue. He hadn't exactly ever dealt with drug-dealing fathers before. And he certainly didn't know what to do with one gun, let alone over a dozen of them.

"Well, whenever I'm in a jam..." He thought out loud, "I always... well, I always ask Dallas, to be honest with you. He always seems to know what to do when it comes to criminal activities."

"It's true." Dally's voice came from the doorway. He was leaning against the frame, a lit cigarette in his hand. "It's my specialty."

Even with watery eyes and a shivering form, Ellie still managed to look decently mad at his intrusion. "What are you even doing here?"

"Eavesdropping."

"Why don't you just-" Ellie started, stepped towards him threateningly.

Johnny grabbed her shoulder and shot her a meaningful glance.

"Fine!" She exclaimed, crossing her arms over her chest.

Feeling as if he had just defused a nuclear bomb, Johnny turned to Dallas and nodded towards the bags.

Looking somehow smug and curious at the same time, Dallas approached with little caution. Bending down briefly to unzip the closest bag, he stared down at the metallic pile of black and silver guns, whistling lowly.

"Damn, Princess." He chuckled roughly, "You sure are full of fun little surprises, aren't you?"

"We need to get it out of here." Johnny explained. "You got any bright ideas on how to get rid of about fifteen pieces?"

"And about three pounds of some sort of drugs." Ellie cut in. "There's a pile of it at the bottom of that bag over there."

The excited, mischievous grin that curled the corner's of Dally's mouth was a truly petrifying sight to behold. "Fifty percent."

Ellie tilted her head in confusion.

"He wants fifty percent of the profit." Johnny explained to her, then to Dally he said, "You want to sell it? To who?"

Dallas shrugged. Bending down, he covered his fingers with the hem of his shirt before grabbing one of the silvery pieces, weighing it. "The Shepard gang could take a few of the guns, but they don't handle drugs. I think the Brumly-"

"Dallas," Ellie groaned, letting out her frustration by reaching up and grabbing her hair with both hands. "I need them gone now, not tomorrow- not even in a few hours. I need them out of my house _now_."

Dallas rolled his eyes. "I know, dumb-ass. That's why I got Pony to find Darry."

* * *

**Hello, hello, hello! I apologize for the shortness of this chapter, but I'm real damn busy rn so it's either short or none at all! Also, not a lot of Dallas/Ellie in this chapter, but I did warn you before that this isn't 100% a romance fic, so...**

**Oh Ellie, arn't you in a jam? What do you guys think will happen? Where will they stash the guns? Will Darry put the gang in jeopardy to save Ellie's ass? Are the po-po really gunna raid Ellie's house? Let me know!**

**P.S. Colleen Corby is a 60s teen model. You'd be surprised how much research I do for this story! :)**

**Until next time!**


	19. When I Grow Up

19.

Stretching his long, muscled arms into the air, Ben let out a yawn.

"You're like a bear coming out of hibernation." Ellie commented with a smile, throwing her bag of popcorn into a passing garbage can. They were just coming out of the movie theater, and the long show had left them both feeling a bit cramped from sitting too long. Ben let out a playful roar as he grabbed Ellie from behind and spun them around, enticing a squeal of laughter from her lips. Letting her back down gently, he kept his hand resting comfortably on her waist as they approached the car.

"You're chariot awaits, my lady." He joked, pulling open the passenger door. Ellie gave him a grateful kiss on the cheek as she slid into the car, being careful to avoid his healing nose. He had gone to a clinic to get it put back in place and hadn't brought it up since. She had tried to apologize, but he had simply waved her off saying he had plenty of broken appendages before.

"Well, I hope you're hungry, because my mom is gonna go all out tonight." He commented as he turned the key in the ignition.

"I hope she doesn't do too much..." Ellie replied, accepting his hand as it came to grip hers naturally. After more than two months of dating, she had settled into their relationship well enough not to blush and fill up with butterflies every time he spoke. In fact, they had been doing so well that when Ben asked her to meet his family, she was more than willing to comply. Everything seemed to be falling into place- at least where Ben was concerned. Despite the mess she was dealing with at home, at least she could see a bright, shining light in her future. She only wished her family could be normal enough for Ben to meet them as well.

"Oh, she's pulled out all the stops." Ben grinned, "You should have seen it; she made my dad miss the beginning of the football game so he could help clean the house. I think I saw him cry a little."

Ellie let out a laugh as she turned to face the windshield. City streets melted quickly into smaller town shops before tapering off into a suburban maze of happily green lawns and nearly identical houses.

"Poor man." She sighed lightly, "No American should be torn away from the television on game day. It's simply unconstitutional."

Pulling up to his house, Ben parked behind his father's pick-up truck and shut off the engine. Then, placing a hand over his broad chest as he stared passionately at her, he muttered in a breathless manner, "Ellie, you're a woman after my own heart."

Turning pink, she slapped him lightly on the shoulder. "Oh, quit it. Let's go inside before I realize how terrifying it is to meet your boyfriend's parents."

"Don't sweat it so much. They'll adore you." Ben told her as they got out and trekked up to the front door. His house only a few years old, painted in crisp white with dark blue shutters. He been raised in it all his life, and he once told Ellie he planned to raise his own family there as well.

"Just make sure to complement mom's cooking." He whispered in her ear just before opening the front door and ushering her inside. "Mom, we're here!"

There was a short _clang_ of metal coming from an open doorway to their left. Then, a slender, middle-aged woman came hurrying towards them, her heels clinking on the tile. Her honey hair was cut at her shoulders and curled gently, her lips painted a subtle pink, her lashes gently coated in mascara, and the rest of her tiny body was covered in a beautiful white dress that tapered at her knees. Ellie was immediately intimidated.

"Hello, dear." She grabbed Ellie's balmy hands and ran her eyes up and down her frame. "You look nice."

She stretched a smile across her face. There wasn't anything blatantly hostile in the woman's voice, but it was formal and distant. This event would be as much of an interview as it would be a dinner.

"Hello..." It was then that Ellie realized she had no idea what Ben's last name was. Trying to hide her utter embarrassment, she quickly added, "This is a very nice home you have here."

She could have sworn the woman's smile become just a a tad tenser. "Thank you, dear."

"Mom, this is Ellie." Ben went on, wavering nervously off to the side. "Ellie, this is my mother, Marie."

"Well, please come in!" Marie instructed, leading them through her home. They passed the dining room and kitchen -where they got a whiff of deliciousness- and moved on to the living room. Even before they entered, Ellie could hear the distinct sound of the television and a pair of voices arguing.

"Frank..." Marie addressed an older man sitting in a big, thick recliner. He had jet black, receding hair, a jolly beer belly under his grey sweater, and two intelligent green eyes that beamed at Ellie in the same warm way his son did. Sitting on the couch beside him, a young girl with equally black hair gave them a numb stare.

"Frank, Elise," Marie started again, once she had their full attention. "This is Ellie."

"Ellie!" Frank stood up, displaying his frightening height and thick, broad shoulders. He was only a few inches shorter than his son. "It's good to finally meet you after all the things Ben has been saying."

Ellie blinked. "Really? What has he said?"

"Nothing." Ben said quickly, his face turning violently red. "I just told them the basics."

"That's true." Frank agreed, patting his song on the back. "Just that you were the prettiest, funniest, kindest girl he's ever met."

Ellie turned just as red as her boyfriend as she struggled to find something to say.

"I never said that!" Ben exclaimed, before backtracking nervously. "Wait, I mean, I _do_ think you are, but I never- I never said it out loud... not that-"

"Don't worry." Elise, who must have been Ben's younger sister, passed the group of them with a cold expression. "Ben says that about _every_ girl he brings home."

Marie sighed at her daughter. "Elise, why don't you come and help me in the kitchen?"

"I can't." Elise stated, already half way up the staircase built on the far side of the hall. "It goes against all my feminist ethics."

Ellie stepped forward. "I'd love to help."

She must have done something right, because Marie's face lit up. Grabbing the girl's hand eagerly, she was herded into a big, black and white kitchen. An aroma of warm, hearty cooking hit Ellie like a bag of bricks. She hadn't smelt anything like it in months, not since her mother left for Washington.

Sitting on the stove was a gently boiling pot of water. Marie moved to pour a handful of asparagus into it.

"Elise hates cooking, but I adore it. I won't even let the maid make snacks." She explained. Letting out a distressed _tisk _of her tongue, she went on to say, "I don't know what we'll do with Elise when she gets older. She says she's moving to New York to become a free-lance painter."

"Maybe it's just a phase." Ellie offered as Ben's mother passed her a bowl of potatoes and a masher. "She looks rather young, after all."

"She's fourteen, but I suppose you might be right. There's a lot of things that can happen between now and adulthood." Marie supplied, busying herself with the chicken breasts she had been baking.

Ellie set the bowl on the counter and pressed the masher down, crushing a few soft potato bits. She could easily remember when she was fourteen, finally starting to bud into a woman in her first year of high school. She was still living her peacefully ignorant life in Chicago, without the gang, without Johnny, or Dallas and Ben.

"What about you?" Marie asked, bringing Ellie out of long past memories. "What do you plan on doing after high school?"

Ellie bit her lip and shrugged. "Honestly, I have no idea. Go to college for a few years, maybe get some type of job, and then get married and have children, I suppose."

"That sounds like a good plan." Marie nodded, "I'm sure you already know, but our Ben is hoping to get accepted into a good football college after he graduates."

"Oh, I'm sure he'll get in." Ellie replied earnestly. "I've seen him at a few practices. He's one of the strongest on his team. I'm sure the scouts will love him when the season starts."

Marie poured the vegetables into a bowl and grabbed the dish of chicken. "He's a big one, isn't he? He get's it from his father. He was _nine_ pounds coming out. But I suppose you don't want to hear that."

"Oh, it's perfectly fine." Ellie followed Marie into the dining room where they set up the dishes around a beautiful centerpiece of lilacs.

"At least this way, if you do end up marrying Ben, you'll know what you'll be getting into." Marie told her with a laugh.

Ellie's eyes went wide. If that was the case, there was no way she was going to procreate with Ben any time soon.

"You've scared the poor girl!" Frank said as he and Ben came into the dining room. "What did you say?"

Marie went up to her husband and gave his arm an affectionate squeeze. "We were just talking about Ben when he was a baby, that's all. Remind me to show you all our photo albums, Ellie."

Elise -appearing as suddenly as she had disappeared- came slinking past her brother on her way to her seat. "Yes, because we simply _can't_ let you leave until you've seen Benny in his Woody Woodpecker outfit."

"Elise, watch your attitude or you won't get any dinner at all." Marie scolded her. Elise gave her mother a cold glare and crossed her arms over her chest, but said nothing more until they were all seated. Frank was at the head of the table, in front of a row of tall windows that overlooked the front yard. Ben sat to his right, beside Ellie, while Marie sat between her husband and daughter.

Frank lead a short prayer before they began to pass around the platters of food.

"So, is 'Ellie' your full name?" Frank asked, breaking their silence.

"No, it's a nickname. My full name is Elizabeth." Ellie explained as Ben passed her the bowl of mashed potatoes.

"Ah, like the Queen of England..." Frank hummed thoughtfully.

Marie smiled at her husband. "Frank is a bit of a history buff. He even took a few courses in college."

"Oh?" Ellie nodded politely. "Is that what you do for a living? I mean, are you a historian, or a teacher?"

Frank shook his head and swallowed a mouthful of food before answering. "No, no... I ended up being a lawyer. What does your father do?"

"He..." Ellie tipped her head down to her plate. She should have known they would ask questions like this. She should have been prepared- she used to be. But now that she knew the truth, she wasn't sure she could lie. "He... well, he runs a business in Chicago. I don't know much about it."

Frank and Marie shared a meaningful look that didn't go unnoticed.

"Ellie moved down here a few months ago with her grandmother." Ben explained hastily. Reaching onto the table, he entwined his fingers with Ellie's."She wanted to spend the rest of her retirement in her home town. Ellie was nice enough to drop everything and come with her."

Marie tilted her head. "But aren't your parents worried about you? Wheres your mother?"

Ben gave her a reassuring smile and she grew a little in confidence.

"She went to see her mother in Washington with my baby brother. But I have my grandmother to watch over me and my father sends enough money so that we can live comfortably." Ellie explained, hoping to stick to the truth as much as possible. "It's really not so bad. We're just going through a transitional period right now."

Frank must have sensed her discomfort because he quickly changed the topic. "Well, I'm sure you're family will be back together soon. Anyway, how are you doing in school? Ben tells us you're rather smart."

She ducked her head down modestly. "That's not true at all; I get decent grades in a few subjects. Ben only thinks I'm smart because he hasn't seen my math marks."

"You're plenty smart." Ben ran his thumb against the skin of her hand and gave her an endearing smile. To his family, he added, "She's always helping her friends study as well."

Elise looked up from playing with her asparagus. "You mean those Greasers?"

Ben turned away from Ellie to shoot his sister a warning glare.

Marie's eyebrows rose. "Greaser? What's that?"

"They're dirty, poor, hoods." Elise supplied, smirking insolently at Ben. Marie frowned, and all the warmth she had previously granted Ellie seemed to vanish into thin air.

"They're not _hoods_." Ellie defended. Suddenly unable to look into their faces, she focused hard on the lilacs in front of her. "They just don't have all the privileges you do. They're _good_ people- just as good as anyone you would hang around."

Elise set her eyes on Ellie in a cool, almost bored manner. Though they were emerald like Ben's, they were so dark that they looked black in the dim lighting. When she opened her mouth, baring a row of straight white teeth, Ellie expected nothing but venom to come forth.

"Dallas Winston is a hood." Elise stated with malicious faux-innocence, running a finger along the silver knife that sat beside her plate. "And I've seen you two hang around a lot."

Ellie inhaled sharply. She was well aware that Dallas held a reputation around town for being a JD and overall jerk, but his name was the last name she had expected to hear that night.

"Y-You don't know Dallas." Ellie choked out despite herself.

Ben's fingers turned stiff in Ellie's.

"Who is Dallas Winston?" Frank asked as he set down his utensils and steeped his hands in front of him.

"He's the boy who broke Ben's nose, Daddy." Elise told him. "He's the worst kind of Greaser. All he does is jump people and steal and get arrested."

Ben stood up so abruptly that they all startled. His face was twisted with barely concealed anger. "It's getting late. I should take Ellie home."

Ellie wavered in her seat for a brief moment, staring at his family. Marie's lips were pressed into a thin line. Elise bore her satisfied smirk without shame. Ben's father was leaning back in his seat, regarding Ellie with an expression she couldn't quite place.

In the car, Ellie struggled to find the courage to speak. She fought the late-night chill by rubbing her arms and concentrating on the static-ridden noise of a Beatles song that played softly on the radio. Once, she managed to brave a quick glance in Ben's direction. He looked much calmer- he was never one to hold much of a grudge. But his steadfast silence spoke volumes regarding how he felt.

As they got closer to her house, Ellie began to feel as if time was running out.

"I'm so sorry, Ben." She groaned, putting a hand to her forehead in utter humiliation. "Your parents must think I'm some sort of uncivilized beast."

Ben let out a short chuckle. "I would be lying if I said they don't, but you don't have to apologize. My sister just thinks the only way she can be cool is if she acts like a total bitch... pardon my language."

"No...no, Ben." Ellie shook her head. "I do need to apologize. I need you to know I'm sorry for messing up this dinner, and I'm especially sorry for getting you into that fight with Dallas, and I know there's a lot I should explain to you about _everything_ but... I-I can't, and I'm sorry for that too."

Ben turned onto her street and let the car's speed lower. "Do you mean about your family?"

Ellie nodded as he glanced over at her.

"Well, your family is none of my business, Ellie, but I'll be there if you ever want to clue me in." He put on the brakes on front of Ellie's house and sighed. "With Dallas...If you want me to be truthful, then I'll tell you that I hate his guts and I'm glad I got to punch him in the face. And whatever happened between you two... as long as it ended the day you agreed to go out with me, then that's none of my business either."

Ellie was left aghast, staring at her boyfriend's face in the dimness of an overhanging streetlight. How could she possibly deserve him? Even overlooking his handsome features, his gentle nature and willingness to forgive and overlook Ellie's deepest flaws was truly comprehensible. In fact, it was so overwhelming that she found herself angry at him; angry that he could be so _perfect_. It couldn't be real. There had to be a flaw to him. Yet she couldn't see one.

Placing her palms on the junction between his shoulders and neck, she pulled him down for a tender kiss that couldn't properly convey how utterly overwhelmed she felt.

As it ended, Ben brushed a few stray locks of hair from her face and grinned. "I'm guessing I said something right, then?"

"Mhm..." Ellie smiled back before pulling away and crawling back to her seat. "I think it's fair to say I won't be coming to any more family dinners?"

* * *

_Hands were roaming across her body; tracing the dips and rises of her chest, burning a trail of fire along her arms, going lower and lower... Then a hungry, growling kiss that made her breathless._

_"D-"_

Ellie bolted up in her bed, gasping for air as a cry died in her throat. Sweat had beaded on her forehead and back while her sheets laid bunched up at the foot of her bed.

The dogs were barking down below. Something was happening- she could nearly taste her fright in the air. Someone was there- _they_ were there!

She startled as a dark shadow passed through her door and swept towards her.

"Get away from me!" She grabbed the nearest object- a pillow- and flung it. It fell weakly to the intruder's feet, and before she could scream they were grabbing at her and pinning her to the bed. Weak and still delirious from sleep, she clawed at anything in her reach.

"Ellie!" A man's- a boy's voice whispered loudly, "Please, Ellie, calm down, it's just the dog!"

Ellie froze as her eyes adjusted to the darkness of her room. "J-Johnny?"

"Yes!" Johnny pulled away, breathing heavily as he perched on the end of her bed. "Jesus, you nearly tore my eye out."

Still shivering from the shock, she sat up and ran a hand through her sweat-damp hair. "I-I thought you were the police."

"And you're plan was to attack them?" Johnny let out a labored chuckle. He was still in the same t-shirt and jeans he had worn in the day, though his button and fly was loose. He must have thrown them on before rushing over from the guest room. Ellie wished she could have scrounged up some of Danny's or her father's clothes for him to wear, but there was nothing but female garb in the house.

Ellie sighed and brought her knees to her chest. "You scared me."

Johnny rubbed her arm briefly before standing. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to... but I heard you shout. It's just the dogs, Els."

"They don't bark for no reason." Ellie stated, pushing her legs over the edge of the mattress to get a look out her window. The street down below was clear and quiet. Not a living soul could be seen. Yet she could have sworn she could see men, looming in the shadows of bushes and trees and houses.

"No one is coming." Johnny told her gently, heading for the door. "You've got those dogs on high alert. They probably saw a cat and went nuts."

Ellie gave the street one last scan. "...Right."

Johnny sighed and grabbed the handle to the door. "Get some sleep, Els. And calm down, alright?"

"Okay." Ellie laid back down, but she couldn't force her eyes shut just yet. "Johnny, when they come, we'll be ready, right?"

Johnny snorted from behind the closing door. "This isn't the Battle of Waterloo."

* * *

Sylvia lightly pinched her straw between two manicured fingers and took a sip of her coke. When she straightened, she fixed Ellie with a curious stare. "You look like utter shit."

Ellie scanned her outfit. She was wearing one of her usual blouse, and a fairly new tangerine skirt. She didn't _think_ she looked any different.

"You do too." She shot back offhandedly, and Sylvia's lips quirked into a smile. Ignoring her, Ellie poured a little more sugar into her coffee and stirred it with a teaspoon. They had met up at the Dingo only a few minutes before, and though Ellie had assumed the whole posse of girls would be coming as well, only Sylvia had arrived so far.

"How have you been? I haven't seen you much since you started dating 'Football Boy'." Sylvia continued conversationally. "You know, for a Soc, he's really hot. I might even be a little jealous."

"Yeah, he's great." Ellie took a gulp of her warm drink.

Sylvia's eyebrow rose. "Just great? Most people are a bit more zealous about their first love."

Ellie's cheeks turned rosy. "Love? I've only known him for a few months."

"That doesn't matter." Her friend countered, and her head tipped up briefly as she smiled at a passing acquaintance. She had many of them. "Better to pretend you're in love rather than wonder if you're out of it."

They were blunt words that came from a blunt girl. And though they seemed far more profound than Sylvia seemed capable of, Ellie was somehow not surprised. There was not much she knew about Sylvia, but she at least knew she wasn't stupid.

"Have you ever been in love?"

Sylvia narrowed her eyes at Ellie as if she was questioning her intelligence. "You think I've been hanging out with that delinquent for nearly four years just because I had nothing better to do?"

Ellie's gut twisted violently, and even if she tried she couldn't hide the distress that thickened her voice. "Y-you mean, Dallas? You're in love with _Dallas_?"

"He has a way of getting under your skin." Sylvia sighed. She picked up the cigarette she had left to burn in an ashtray on the table and took a long drag. "And once upon a time, he might have loved me back."

Ellie gaped. _Lust_, she had expected... perhaps even fondness. After all, they had been together for quite a while. But love? Now it was different. This whole time Ellie had thought she was only messing with some sloppy, superficial relationship that had never meant to go anywhere. They were hardly even _together_! And even then, some part of her knew it was wrong to even look Dally's way.

But love...

Ellie thought about telling her everything. About every glance, touch, conversation... every kiss. She felt as if she had stolen them. She felt as if every moment could have- should have been for Sylvia. She was the one Dallas should have taken on that horse ride. She was the one who should have sat by his side that night he was stabbed. But Ellie had been selfish, and had convinced herself that because she was coarse and implacable, Sylvia didn't deserve any of it. Even at that very moment, it would be a lie to say she wanted them to see each other.

She was disgusted with herself. At what point had she become so greedy? At one point did her desires mean more than her friends?

"Hey, are you sick or something?" Sylvia asked as she snubbed her cigarette in the tray and frowned at her. "I'm warning you, if you hurl on me I'll cut off all your limbs and feed it to your dogs."

"You're gross." Ellie sighed, pushing aside her feelings for the time being. Either way, there wasn't much she could do to interfere anymore. Dallas didn't like being in the same room as her.

"Come on, kiddo." Sylvia finished off her coke before sliding out of the booth. Another girl had the misfortune of being too close when she stood, and she got a hard elbowing to the back.

"Oops!" Sylvia exclaimed as she passed by.

Draining the rest of her coffee, Ellie hurried after her high-heeled friend. "Where are we going?"

"Anywhere but here." Sylvia brushed her hair away from her face and fanned her face with her hand. "It was way too hot in that diner."

"We could go to the pool-"

Sylvia scowled in disgust. "You mean the Rec Center pool? That place is always swamped with Socs. Let's go sneak into the Mildred."

Mildred was a three-star hotel on the border of East Tulsa. It wasn't a total dump, but it certainly wasn't the hottest place to stay. She had never been there, but she knew lots of kids liked to sneak into their pool during the summer.

"We can stop by my house and grab bathing suits. You can borrow one of mine." Sylvia held up her hands expectantly.

Ellie tossed her the car keys. "As long as it covers all my bits."

Sylvia unleashed her trademark grin that made her look equal parts seductive and evil. "Depends on which bits you mean, darling."

Her house was less of a house and more of an over sized trailer. The outside was painted light blue, and a dozen pots of flowers grew along it's walls to cheer the place up. A few steps led up to a small porch with a cover. Through the door was a small living room area that doubled as a dining room; past it was a small kitchen, bathroom, and two rooms that flared out on either side of the building. It was all outdated, but kept neat and tidy enough so that it didn't matter.

"Baby!" A woman in a yellow dress that matched her bottle-yellow hair smiled at them from the kitchen. She had the same eyes and facial shape as Sylvia's, but didn't have that unique sharpness to her. In fact, she seemed so unfocused and fragile that Ellie had to wonder if she wasn't on some sort of medication. She had a packet of jell-o beside a boiling pot of water set up in front of her. When she had turned around she hit the handle of the pot and it nearly split."I was just making some Jell-o salad! Do you and your friend want some?"

"No." Sylvia replied stiffly. Grabbing Ellie's hand, she led her to the bedroom on the left.

"Was that your mother?" Ellie asked once they were safely behind the closed door. Sylvia's room was covered head-to-toe in posters or clippings taken from magazines. From Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons, to Cher, to Elvis (who had his very own wall of pictures), anyone who was anyone had their image plastered onto the wall.

Sylvia went straight to her dresser and flung open the top drawer. "Yeah, until I can prove she stole me from the hospital."

"She seemed nice." Ellie commented, catching the piece of fabric that had been thrown at her. "Oh, no. There is no way I'm going to wear this."

Sylvia had given her a yellow-striped two-piece bikini that covered even less than her own underwear and bra would have.

Pulling out similar one in blue, the girl threw her pair onto the bed beside Ellie before beginning to strip off her shirt. "It's funny... every time you say no to me, you end up doing what I want anyway." Smiling, she added, "You're wasting your breath."

Teasingly, Ellie whipped her bottoms at Sylvia's bare stomach. Then she followed her lead by pulling down her skirt. In a few moments she had changed into the bathing suit. Taking a look in the mirror, she squealed at the utter indecency of it- the top could hardly hold her breasts in! Perhaps it would have worked on Sylvia, who had the confidence and figure to pull of a potato-sack, but Ellie just looked like she was trying too hard.

"You look hot." Sylvia grinned, grabbing her hand and forcing her into a twirl so that she could see her in every angle. "It's hard to remember you have a body shape under all your ugly clothes."

"You're a b-b..." Ellie pulled away and covered her chest with her hands. "You _know_!"

"And proud of it!" Sylvia giggled, flinging her arms around her friend's fame and giving her a squeeze. Ellie turned a little red as her bare skin grazed hers, but she didn't pull away. By then she was pretty used to being uncomfortable with everything Sylvia did.

"Now, can I put a little bit of make-up on you to cover up those massive bags?" Sylvia went on with an eager expression as they separated.

"You-" Ellie began just as there was a hesitant knock from outside the room. Their heads spun towards the noise.

"We don't want your stinkin' Jell-o, mother!" Sylvia snapped, but when the door creaked open it wasn't her mother but a bulky, bald man with a graying mustache over his lip. His beady black eyes fell to Ellie.

Barely containing a scream, she wretched the covers from the bed to cover her exposed body.

"Sorry to interrupt Sylvia, but I just wanted to have a quick chat with you." His voice was much quieter than Ellie would have expected.

"Fuck off, Bill." Sylvia answered breezily as she moved towards him. Ellie inched back.

"It's just that you didn't attend church with us yesterday and-"

Sylvia slammed the door with such force that the whole home rattled.

"Sylvia!" Her mother's voice came from somewhere outside. "Please calm down, darling!"

"That's Bill." Sylvia explained unflinchingly. Ignoring her mother's pleas, she flopped belly first into the bed and screamed loudly into a pillow.

Ellie waited until she was finished before she asked, "Is he your father?"

"God, no." Sylvia rolled over and patted the space beside her. "Stepfather."

Dragging the sheets along with her, Ellie laid down and stared up at the popcorn ceiling. She didn't know what to say, and she was still a bit shook up at having her exposed body leered at by a grown man.

"He's a pig." Sylvia hissed, "He's a crazy bible-thumper. All he does is sit around all day and complain about all the sinners in the world."

Ellie smiled. "He must _love_ you then."

She heard her giggle. "He prays for my salvation every night before he goes to bed."

Ellie smiled, but she didn't join into the laughter. She had expected Sylvia's parents to be lacking, but it was one thing to think about and another to see first hand. Suddenly, everything about Sylvia seemed to make sense. It made her feel sad, but she kept her mouth shut. Sylvia wasn't the type of girl that had use for pity.

"You sure do like celebrities She commented after a while, staring at one of the many Paul McCartneys hanging above her head.

"Who doesn't?" Sylvia brought out a fresh cigarette before digging around in her side drawer for a lighter. "Do you ever wonder what it's like to be one of them? They got millions of adoring fans all over the world, enough money to buy every Soc house in the south side, and all they do is stand around in movies or sing or just be beautiful."

"Like Marilyn Monroe." Ellie supplied, waving away a cloud of smoke while Sylvia puffed away.

"Except Marilyn died. She had everything and it wasn't enough. But that's how rich people get. Not me." Sylvia's eyes drifted shut as she smiled to herself. "One day I'll be on the big screen, and I'll get loads of money and have people fawning over me like I'm some other-worldy thing. And that'll be enough for me."

Ellie grinned. Every girl had dreams of becoming a big movie-star, but for Sylvia to have that dream after all these years... she was just happy the girl had some sort of hopes and aspirations besides the dull, bleak life she was bound to live in Tulsa.

"You've got to go to Hollywood, then."

Glowing from her trip into a glitz-and-glamour wonderland, Sylvia turned over and winked cat-like at Ellie. "I'm going to go when I turn eighteen. I've got it all planned out. We're gonna hop trains or maybe hitch-hike to get there, and then we can get jobs until I get discovered. And from what my mom used to tell my grandmother, that's where my _real _dad is-"

Ellie reeled back. "Wait- Sylvia, who is '_we_'?"

The shimmer of hope died in her eyes and annoyance replaced it. "Me and Dallas, you idiot."

"O-oh, right." Ellie pulled away and sat up on the bed. "Sylvia, I need to tell you-"

They were interrupted again by a knock, but this time it came from the front.

"Sylvia!" Her mother called, "There's a boy outside asking for you!"

"Jesus!" Sylvia growled, flinging her cigarette in an old mug by her bed before stomping out of the room. Ellie could hear her arguing with her mother before the screen of the main door slammed shut. Crawling off the bed, Ellie took the few moments alone to change back into her usual attire. She didn't feel like swimming anymore- she felt sick.

"Just hold the hell up!" She heard Sylvia shout just as Steve barreled into the bedroom.

"Steve?" Ellie asked in confusion, her hand still on the zipper of her skirt. Steve froze at the threshold, as if he had just realized he was intruding on a girl's private room.

When he didn't say anything, Ellie's eyebrows rose and she coughed lightly. "Steve? What are you doing here?"

Roused from his sudden state, he took her by the forearm and began to drag her out. "We've been looking all over this fucking town for you."

"Why? What's going on?" She hurried beside him obediently, a little frightened. "Is everyone okay?"

"Let her go, Randal!" Sylvia hissed, following them from the kitchen and blocking the exit. "You're scaring her!"

"Fuck off!" Steve's face turned violently red. Ellie was only half-aware of Sylvia's parents standing wearily behind them as Steve practically threw Sylvia aside with one hand. She fell back onto the sofa with an outraged screech.

"Steve!" Ellie complained as he dragged her down the porch and towards Two-Bit's car.

"Sorry Princess, but I don't got time to play nice with the town bitch." Steve replied, releasing his vice-grip on her as they crawled into the car.

"She's-" Ellie shook her head and focused more on strapping herself in before Steve hit the gas. "Steve, what's happening?"

"What do you think? They're at your house now."

Ellie blanched. "The police?"

Steve nodded grimly. "With a warrant. Your grandmother was alone at the house but Johnny ran in to help her out. We figured we 'ought to get you."

She opened her mouth to insist on more detail but something stopped her.

Steve drove through the city like a madman being chased by the hounds of hell. The seat belt dug into her skin when he skidded to a halt less than a block away from her house, but she couldn't feel it. She couldn't feel anything.

Her gaze caught on the ambulance, sinister and ugly against the backdrop of her home- her sanctuary. It didn't belong. Not there. _Not there._

Steve made a weak attempt to stop her as she stumbled from the car.

"Ellie!" Someone called, and before she could take another step Johnny had his around her, holding her back. Words spilled from his mouth; she heard nothing but white noise, deafening and pounding against her skull. Lord and Lady were in the front yard, their teeth bared as a man in uniform pushed them back with a baton, hitting against their sides.

_Whack_! Lady was pushed against the fence. _Whack! _Lord had tried to bite the man's leg and was sent face first into the ground.

"M-my dogs..." Ellie faltered and then found her voice, "Stop! Stop it! Those are my dogs!"

"Ellie!" Johnny screamed in her ear, cutting through the fog in her head.

"Stop them Johnny!" She started to cry. They were taking a stretcher across her front yard. She had to peer over his shoulder to watch it being shuffled into the back of the ambulance. There was a streak of black and grey hair swaying in the gentle wind, just visible over the blankets. A scream was trapped inside Ellie's throat.

Tearing away, she tried to stop them before they drove off, but another officer grabbed hold of her arm and pulled her back onto the curb.

"You're Miss Carter, correct?"

Ellie turned away. Steve had finally gotten out of the car and was approaching the policeman that had been beating on the dogs. Cursing and shouting, he grabbed the baton and chucked it as hard as he could between the houses. It went sailing through the air and landed somewhere behind the far fence.

Johnny came to her side again. "They took your grandmother to the hospital. We better leave now if you want to catch up to them."

"Excuse me, sir." As he lifted his hand to warn Johnny back, Ellie finally noticed the officer in front of her. He was familiar. He had been one of the men that had come to the Dingo all those months back- the younger one who had stood there while his partner had harassed them.

"What do you want?" Ellie asked. She couldn't find it in her to be polite.

"I need to ask you to come down to the station so we can speak." The man explained, staring down at her sympathetically. It only made her angrier. He couldn't get to terrorize her family and then look at her that way- like he was _sorry_\- and expect everything to be forgiven!

Ellie crossed her arms over her chest. "Did you find whatever you were looking for in my house?"

He faltered. "No, but-"

"Then I'm going to see my grandmother in the hospital and you can go speak to my family attorneys." Ellie snapped, turning her back on him again. Neither he or his partner (who had given Steve a hard punch in the gut before wandering onto the sidewalk) made any attempt to stop them as they got into Two-Bit's car and sped away.

It was a long while before Ellie managed to regain her composure. Everything seemed to be moving at the speed of light. How could all of this happen in a matter of minutes? Everything had been perfectly fine.

The first thing she managed to process was the ugly bruise coloring the side of Johnny's neck and the way he was clutching the steering wheel so hard his fingers where white.

"Did they do that to you?" She asked, mopping stray tears away with her sleeve. She couldn't afford to cry right then.

Johnny shook his head and sighed. "No.. no, I'm just having a generally shitty day overall. Do you really have family attorneys?"

Ellie turned to the road. Ben's mother had been right. A lot could happen to a girl before adulthood.

"I don't even know what an attorney is."

* * *

**Meh, I don't know how I feel about this chapter, but eh. There you guys go. I'm going on a trip so I figured I'd post beforehand. Next chap will be out kind of late, though. Sorry!**

**I know a lot of you are disappointed with the lack of Dallas! Do not worry! He should make an appearance next ep, and then after that it should focus a bit more on romance!**

**Ps. Thelatenight, I do a lot of my research simply by googling things like '60's hair' '60's fashion' '60's slang' etc. I know that probably doesn't help much, but when I do find websites I usually use the ones where the info comes from people who actually were alive during that time. Another website that helps a lot with fashion or celebs, etc, is pinterest! I use that website a lot when I try to create certain locations or characters. Everything else I simply take from multiple websites. For example, I went on about a dozen sites for to figure out how a rodeo would look like. But even then, you'll probably still make mistakes- but don't worry! As long as it's not as ridiculous as Ipods in the 60s, no one is going to bother you about the details! Just make sure to ask yourself a lot if certain objects or outfits would be seen during that time.**

_**Please remember to let me know what you think! The good, the bad, the horrible! I need to know in order to become a better writer!**_


	20. Smile Like You Mean It

20.

It was raining.

Huge, sloppy droplets pitter-pattered against the cement jungle of Tulsa, soaking the city to its very bones. And it was only the beginning; a mid-summer thunderstorm was due to pass through by nightfall, strong enough to riddle the news with blackout warnings.

It was horribly fitting for a funeral.

Ellie wiggled her rain boots in the muddy mess the manicured graveyard had become, praying it would suck her down like quicksand and eat her whole. Shivers ran down her neck as she imagined half-rotten corpses reaching at her as she suffocated in the soggy darkness of the earth. They would have to put a marker above her, one to match her grandmother's.

A man- a neighborhood priest- mumbled a few lines from his bible. He seemed a little too young to be such an important figure, but he still had that soft, knowing nature most priests possessed. The Curtis boys knew him from church, and he had been kind enough to lead the funeral when Darry had asked. Though Ellie had been raised to believe God existed, her family had never been committed to religion. Ellie didn't even know if her grandmother would have wanted him there, but it was better safe than sorry.

"-Because of the tender mercy of our God, by which the daybreak from on high will visit us, to shine on those who sit in darkness and death's shadow, to guide our feet into the path of peace..." His gaze drifted up, peaking past the rim of his glasses as he inspected her for the third time that hour. "Will there be no others attending?"

She shook her head, glued to the dark mahogany casket. The cover was shut; she couldn't bare to see her grandmother's empty shell of a body. At the hospital they had broken the news outside of the emergency room. That was where she stayed, sobbing freely and without shame, until Darry came and gathered her up. The body had been sent to the morgue without any help on her part.

"This isn't a burden a young girl should be baring alone."

"Please, just finish."

The priest searched her face. Ellie shut her eyes and listened carefully to the sound of rain hitting the roof of her umbrella.

"Please." She begged again.

"I have already finished, dear." He answered, closing the bible with a soft _thud_. "Do you have anything to add?"

Ellie shrugged. She knew she would hate herself one day for making such a hurried wreck out of such a significant event, but every time she tried to sort things out she felt sick. Truthfully, she wouldn't have made it these past three weeks without Johnny and Darry. While she had been running on auto-pilot, Darry had managed to plan a simple funeral while Johnny had been by her side every minute of the day, keeping the house clean, calling the school to explain her absence, feeding the dogs, and everything else she could have possibly needed done. It was far more than she could have ever asked of them, especially Darry. He shouldn't have had to go through that process again. One day she would find a way to make up for it.

She cast one last glance at her grandmother's casket before turning away. She didn't know how to describe how she felt at that very moment, but she knew, more than anything, that there was nothing she could do or say that would change the fate that had been dealt. Like a raft in the ocean, she simply had to cling on until she met shore.

* * *

Dallas ached everywhere, and it was all Tim's fault. They were having a quiet morning by the Dingo, joking around with Curly and a few other Shepard Boys while they kept out of the rain. Dally didn't like them overly (mostly because they were always trying to jump him) but on calm weeks they weren't bad to waste time with.

It was going pretty smoothly until some River Kings swung by. Dallas knew instantly that they were cruising for a rumble.

"You're far from your territory." Tim pointed out with a cool stare as they approached. He didn't like messing with River Kings too much- while the likes of Tim's and Brumly's outfit composed of kids looking for good fun and a lot of trouble, the River Kings were led by real, hard men with agendas and ambitions.

But the boys that had come that day were rookies; pimple-faced, cocky little bastards trying to prove themselves. One was barely a year older than Curly.

A tall one with long, slicked hair set Tim with a mocking smile. "We won't be if we made it ours. What do you think, boys? This shit-hole look appealing to you?"

They were fighting before Dallas could even slide away. He _really_ didn't want to join in. But the Shepard gang seemed to always have his own gang's back during rumbles, and as Tim's closest friend, it wasn't like he could hang back... Besides, he didn't want to look like some kind of coward.

In the end, Dally couldn't really tell who won the fight, but judging by the shape of his body it certainly hadn't been him.

So when he passed by the highway and saw that vomit-green tin-can pulled over to the side, he told himself to keep driving. Nothing good would come out of stopping. A few more minutes and he'd be back at Buck's where a warm bed and a cold beer waited for him. He was going to keep driving... keep driving..._keep driving_...

"Damn it!"

A U-turn later and he was slamming the door of Buck's Thunderbird, despising himself.

She was sitting on the roof of her car, protected from the rain by a thin white coat with it's hood pulled over her hair. Her rain boots hung down in the frame of her open window, kicking mud into the interior.

"How was the funeral?" He asked, leaning against the side but keeping clear of her messy shoes.

"Like usual."

Dallas lit up a cigarette. "That could mean anything. Funerals can suck, or they can be a hell of a good time."

She tilted her head to look down at him. "Depending on?"

"Depending on who died."

"Well," Ellie sniffed, "Then it sucked."

Dallas wasn't sure what to say to her. It wasn't as if he had ever been someone people opened up to, but... This was Ellie. Laughing, smiling, annoying, naive, talking-too-much _Ellie_. The grim line of her mouth and the lost look in her silvery eyes seemed gruesomely misplaced.

"Go home, Ellie." He told her.

"That's why I'm out here." She responded with a sigh, pulling her coat tighter.

Dallas looked past her to the highway. A few dozen farms lined each side, and past that was an open expanse of field. At the end of it was Missouri, then Illinois, and at the very farthest point, Chicago.

"You're going back?" Dallas asked, surprised despite himself.

Ellie's eyebrows rose at his tone of voice. "I've been thinking about it. I mean, I have to do _something_."

Dallas flicked his cigarette bud onto the mud and hiked himself up on the hood beside her. "What do you mean by that?"

Ellie shook her head in a mixture of disbelief and bitterness. She didn't seem to very interested in speaking to him, and he didn't blame her. "Do you even care?"

His eyes narrowed into a glare, his temper getting the best of him. "What do you think I'm doing here, sitting in the fucking rain with you? You think I'm doing this for kicks?"

Ellie's face contorted, as if he had just reached over and slapped her. Dallas' stomach dropped. He didn't always mean to be such an ass, but God, why were people so sensitive? He could hear her begin to breath in short little gasps, and then all at once she was crying.

"Shit." Dallas muttered, running a hand through his hair. Of course he had gotten her going. He was such an _ass._

Her hand went to her gaping mouth as her sobs became louder and more desperate, as if she was trying to find some way to control herself. Automatically Dallas took hold and pulled her onto his lap, ignoring the droplets of rain that coated her jacket and soaked his exposed t-shirt.

"I-I...I'm..." She tried to speak between her tears, but she kept choking on her words.

Dallas cradled her tighter against him as she dipped down to hide her face in his chest. _What a bitch_, he thought, and even in his head it sounded half-assed. How did he end up here, comforting a girl he had already wasted too much time with? What did he get out of this? Nothing. Either way, he was going to end up driving home solo. If he was smart, he'd try to cop a feel while the timing was still right. But he wasn't smart. He was a goddamn idiot.

"Quit it." He mumbled into her hair while her arms snaked around his neck. "You know you're grandma wouldn't have liked you cryin' like a big baby."

He swore he heard Ellie manage a laugh.

"Yeah," She pulled back with her face soaked and puffy, yet somehow much better than before. "Still, she would have expected it anyway."

Dallas reached over and wiped the moisture from her eyes. Maybe he hated her, maybe he didn't. It didn't matter just then. She was just a kid, after all, and she was alone. Dallas knew a lot about that.

"I'm not strong like you, Dallas." She went on, "I can't just stop feeling everything I feel."

Dallas snorted. "Me neither, girly."

He could tell from the way Ellie searched his face that she didn't quite understand what he meant. He didn't expect her to; girls like her only saw him as one of the rough and tuff J.D.s they whispered about in the halls.

Ellie took a deep breath and turned back to the road. Tendrils of hair had come undone and whipped gently in the breeze. "My grandmother is gone, my brother has been arrested, my father is probably going to join him, and my mother hasn't answered my calls for weeks. What would you do?"

"Have a party." Dallas joked. He was about to add more but Ellie had leaned back to rest her head against his collarbone and he forgot what he wanted to say.

"I don't want to deal with all this, Dally." She admitted, "I mean, I feel so awful about my grandmother and what's happening to my brother, but all I can really think about is how much I want everything to be normal again. I just want to be a regular girl that can rely on her parents to figure everything else out for her. I don't want to take care of myself... I feel like everyone abandoned me..."

Her voice hitched and she turned to him with fresh tears threatening to spill. "My grandmother died and that's all I can think of!"

"It's because you're a selfish bitch." Dallas commented, smirking as Ellie's sobs became a glare. She tried to wriggle out of his lap, but he held fast. "Hey, I'm kidding."

Giving up, she smacked his shoulder as hard as he could. He winced- a bruise must have formed there during the fight- and Ellie smiled triumphantly.

"You jerk, Dallas Winston. And to think I could look to you for advise!"

Dallas smiled back. "You want advise? Stop moping. You haven't been abandoned, you cry-baby. You still got the gang, and those mutts, and you have yourself. That's a hell of a lot more than some people have. Me? I got nothing, but I'm doing fine."

Ellie swiped a stray tear from her cheek, sniffing like a toddler that had just finished a tantrum. "I guess."

Still grinning, Dallas slid from the car hood with Ellie still in his arms. He didn't want to let go of her just yet. It felt like a lifetime had passed since he had felt her warmth, and there was no telling how long it would be until he would get to feel it again. Perhaps never. He even carried her all the way to Buck's convertible, despite the pain that shot up from his ribs.

"Why do we always end up leaving my car in weird places?" She complained as he placed her gently into the passenger seat. "Someone might steal it."

Dallas rose an eyebrow condescendingly. "Who would steal garbage?"

* * *

Dallas drove her home and (grudgingly) promised to be back in an hour with her car. Ellie stood on the porch to watch him speed away, her stomach in knots. She had missed him, even though she had been to mad to realize until then. He always had a way of setting her on fire and soothing her all at the same time. It was the perfect remedy.

_It's good that he didn't try anything_, Ellie told herself as she slipped out of her wet boots, leaving them to drain on the deck. It meant the world to her, knowing that he could simply sit there and listen without turning it into something else. She didn't need that right now. She had needed a friend... and Dallas was the one to step up for her. Maybe they didn't have to avoid each other. Just because they didn't work out romantically didn't mean they couldn't work out as friends...

Ellie's face twisted into a grimace.

"Princess!" Two-Bit charged at her as she came inside, lifting her off her feet as he wrapped her up in a bear hug. "Don't look so pained!"

"Two-Bit?" Ellie peeked over his shoulder to see an array of people standing in her hallway. "What's going on?"

Soda smiled at her, flanked by Darry, Pony, and Kathy. "We know you wanted to go to the funeral alone, but you didn't say anything about _after_."

Two-Bit set her down just as Sylvia, Johnny, Steve, Sandy, Angel, and Penny craned their necks through the doorway to greet her as well.

Ellie's lip began to quiver at the sight of them. "Y-you're all here just for me?"

"And the booze." Sylvia expanded with a devilish smirk. "We're gonna get you so drunk you won't even remember your grandmother's name."

"No we aren't." Darry cut in with a short glare in her direction. Sylvia rolled her eyes.

Two-Bit gave Ellie a little nudge forward, and Soda gently grabbed her hand to lead her into the living room. Seconds later, she was in Johnny's arms.

"How was it?" He asked quietly as she began to tear up once more. Though this time it wasn't from grief. How could she have ever felt abandoned when she had so many people that cared?

"It's better now." She admitted, gracing her friends with a watery smile.

Sylvia clapped her hands together cheerfully. "Perfect! But I still think we should drink to chase all this icky sad away!"

Penny pinched her arm roughly. "Will you shut up?"

"It's okay." Ellie insisted. "I have a few leftover beers that need drinking, anyway. I'll go get them."

She slid from under Johnny's arm and moved towards the kitchen, ignoring a few concerned looks. Darry followed behind her.

"Ellie, I'll tell you right now that drinking won't solve any of your problems." He told her once they were safely away from the crowd.

She flung open the fridge and squatted to grab a pack of beers from the bottom shelf. Setting them on the counter, she plunged down again to grab a carton of orange juice.

"Don't worry, _dad_, I'll be sticking to the O.J. tonight. But I really do need to get rid of these beers, and we do need some livening up."

Darry nodded approvingly and helped grab a few glasses from the cupboard above her head.

"How did you manage to wrangle everyone up?" Ellie asked.

"Sodapop." Darry responded, as if that explained everything. There was a short pause as they gathered everything in their arms. Ellie had managed to find a bag of chips as well; comfort food was exactly what she needed.

"Kiddo..." Darry began again as they moved back towards the living room. "I just want to tell you something I told Soda and Pony when our parents died."

Ellie froze. The boys never talked about their parents; at least not to her. She wouldn't have even known if it hadn't been for the others. It seemed to be too much of a close-to-the-heart topic for an outsider like her to be let in on, so she had never bothered to press the subject.

For the first time, she observed the aching softness underneath the ice in his eyes. As the unofficial leader of the gang, and the guardian of his two brothers, Darry was always such a tough rock of a man. But Ellie knew everything he did came from love and loyalty.

"Ellie," He said seriously, "I know it hurts, but we've got to keep moving, and we've got to keep living, do you understand? There's no other option."

She stared at him, swallowing the lump in her throat. She wanted to hung him and thank him, but her hands were too full, and she was scared she'd begin to cry... _again_.

Instead, she nodded, smiled, and reached up on her tippy-toes to kiss him on the cheek. "I know, Darry. I know."

Dallas came strolling in just as the beers were being distributed. Grabbing the last one, he gave her hair a passing ruffle on his way to the sofa. Sylvia perched herself on top of his lap, and soon the rest of them had found a spot on a seat or on the floor. Two-Bit had switched the television on to some old cowboy movie, but it was hardly watched. They spent the rest of the night chatting with one another, and eventually playing a few board games Pony and Johnny had found at the back of a closet. Even her dogs had come out of hiding to harass the guests for belly rubs and leftover chips.

Squished in between Soda and Johnny, Ellie began to drift asleep just as the clock chimed twelve, a comforted smile blooming across her face. Maybe the world wasn't spinning madly out of control after all- or maybe it was, but at least she had her friends.

* * *

**Hey everyone! Sorry for the long wait and the short chapter, but I couldn't write while I was away so I ended up being a week behind... But I hope you liked the chapter! I know everything got really heavy pretty quick, so I wanted to end it on a lighter note. Next chapter should be fairly light as well! And I hope you all had your Dallas cravings satisfied? I'll be focusing a bit more on romance in the future...**

**I apologize for any glitches with _italics_. This site is being a bit finicky right now.**

**Thank you everyone for your continued support for this story! I'm always trying to update on a regular basis, but don't panic if I'm a little late! I wish I could just sit and write, but life is always calling!**

**Remember to review!**


	21. Feels Like We Only Go Backwards

21.

"One more day." Two-Bit moaned, slumping over the booth's table. "One more glorious day of summer before we're shipped off to 'Nam-"

"You mean school?" Kathy grinned from beside him, her hand on his back as she rubbed comforting circles over his t-shirt.

Ellie looked up to Johnny, who was leaning over the side of the booth behind them. They exchanged bemused looks. Five minutes ago, Two-Bit and Kathy had been at each other's throats with (rather witty) insults.

"It's the same thing." Two-Bit grumbled.

Kathy reached up and ruffled his long rusty hair. "You know, you don't have to go."

Ellie's smile dropped. Keith Mathews was a troublemaker that gave teachers year-long migraines, but that didn't mean he should drop out. Despite what everyone thought, Two-Bit wasn't an idiot. He had even corrected a few grammar mistakes Ellie had made on her geology essay last year! Although, he only agreed to do it if he could steal a few sentences for his own paper... but still!

Two-Bit picked up his head and shrugged. "Nah... what would Will Rogers High do without the morale I provide them on a daily basis?"

"Actually attend classes without distractions?" Pony suggested, reaching over Ellie's coffee to tap his cigarette against the ashtray. He made a face at her drink. "How can you consume that shit? You're like some old man, drinking coffee like that."

Ellie grabbed the cup and took a large, cheeky gulp.

"Mmmm..." She hummed at him, smacking her lips. "I can feel my interest in politics and bourbon growing with every sip."

Pony pointed to her head. "Is that a grey hair I see?"

Ellie's hand shot up instinctively and the boys began to laugh.

"I despise you all." She told them with a faint blush.

Johnny straightened suddenly, staring off behind them. "That doesn't look good."

Dallas was hurrying towards them, his eyes glued to the open windows.

"You're looking more suspicious than usual." Two-Bit drawled as he came to them. "The cops on your tail again?"

Dallas shoo-ed Pony out of his spot in the booth, and replacing him, slid low in the seat so that Ellie blocked most of his body if anyone was to glance through the windows. She rose an eyebrow at him as Pony went to kneel beside Johnny.

"They always are." He joked, rubbing a bruise on his chin. He was always covered in injuries, Ellie noticed, and most of them she was sure he deserved. Yet she couldn't stop feeling sorry for him anyway.

Johnny reached between Two-Bit and Kathy to steal a french fry.

"What have you done now?" He asked between bites.

Dallas made a no-committal shrug and stole a fry as well. "You don't want to know."

"We really do." Two-Bit insisted, tugging his plate closer to him.

Ellie took a sip of her coffee, trying not to look so eager to hear as well. Dallas wasn't usually so coy about his numerous crimes, so she could only assume he had done something truly horrible this time.

Her eyes went wide. "Have you killed a man?"

"I'm hurt, darlin'," Dallas uttered, a hand on his chest and a faux-indignant expression on his face. "What kind of monster do you think I am?"

"Don't worry, Els." Two-Bit smiled, slapping Johnny's hand away when he tried to steal another fry. "Dallas hasn't killed a man since the winter of 1963."

"I was acquitted for that one."

Ellie gaped at him. "_What?_"

"It was a... misunderstanding." Dallas shrugged, looking rather nonplussed. He sat up and stretched, cracking his back and forcing Ellie to scoot over in order to keep a few safe inches between them. "You know that corner store by Steve's house? The one owned by that Italian family? We went in to grab a few things, but you know Peter MacDonald- He's a goddamn hothead. Well, he robbed them dry."

Pony's face fell a little. "The Pellinos? Their dad used to give us free Popsicles in the summer."

"Life's a bitch."

Kathy shot Dallas a dour, tight-lipped glare. She was always eager to show her great distaste towards Two-Bit's most unsavory friend. "Life isn't the problem, Dallas. It's scumbags like you."

Dally flung his arm along the booth and returned her look with a rather self-satisfied one of his own. "And proud of it, baby."

"Sorry to interrupt, but I think Ben's here, Els." Johnny cut in, pointing outside where Ben's silver mustang sat rumbling in the parking lot. A few greaser kids were headed towards it, one with a switchblade glinting in the mid-day light.

"I better head out before he gets into trouble." Ellie put down her cup in a rush and turned to Dallas, expecting him to get up so she could slide out of the booth. She put a hand on his shoulder and gave him a little shove. "Dallas, come on. Let me out."

He stared back at her without budging. "You still with that blockhead?"

"Are you still with Sylvia?" She shot back, giving him a second, harder shove. "Dallas, I'm not joking. He's gunna get hurt if he takes on all those kids."

"They're tryin' to key his car." Ponyboy supplied, staring out the window.

"Dallas, please!" Ellie whined, pushing him again and again without any luck. It was as if he was made out of a bag of boulders.

He smirked. "Say that again with just a smudge more... neediness, and I just might."

"Scumbag!" Kathy sang out as Pony and Johnny gagged behind her.

Ellie's face turned violently red. "I'm starting to agree with her."

Rolling his eyes, Dallas got up to let her pass.

"You're coming to Buck's tonight, right?" Kathy asked as Ellie scattered a few dollars onto the table to pay for her coffee. "Sylvia said we're picking you up at nine."

She tried not to make a face. While she was all for the occasional fun, getting drunk and dealing with a crowd of rowdy strangers was the last on her list of to-dos this week. But it seemed as if everyone was heading to Buck's for his annual 'Last Week of Summer' celebration, with the exception of the Curtis boys, who kept clear of Buck's at all times. Maybe she could spend the night with them instead.

"If I can make it." She answered reluctantly, "I still have to pack and sort out the house before tomorrow. If not, I'll have to see you in the morning before I leave for Chicago."

Looking outside to see Ben coming out of his car, surrounded by a few greasers, Ellie gave them a rushed wave of goodbye before hurrying towards the doors.

She felt an hand catch her elbow, wrenching her back. It was Dallas, and his face was twisted in angry confusion. Her heart leaped heavily in her chest.

"You're leaving?" He hissed, backing her into a secluded section of the bar. His fingers dug into her exposed flesh hard enough to hurt. Ellie found herself more surprised than upset. She had nearly forgotten what kind of man Dallas really was- and it wasn't a gentleman.

Casting a worried glance towards the table, she was relieved to find only Johnny staring at them, his eyes shadowed in worry. Dallas must have noticed as well; sighing irritably, he let go of her only to pitch his arms on the bar, effectively locking her in place. "El-"

"I can't stay here." She sighed, looking anywhere but at him. He really shouldn't be standing so close.

"Why the hell not?"

She straightened as best she could with a stool digging into her side. Her hand went to his forearm, silently pleading for him to let her go. "I'm fifteen, Dallas. I can't live by myself."

"I live by myself!" She could feel the coiled tension tightening under his skin. He was mad, though she hardly understood why.

"And you're doing so well, aren't you?" She managed to weasel away from him, making a beeline for the exit.

Dallas caught up to her halfway across the parking lot.

Her kitten-heels clicking rapidly against the pavement, she wondered what had taken him so long. "I'm going, Dallas. There isn't anything you can say to stop me."

"Bullshit." He muttered, cooling down in the open air. Or maybe it was the dozen or so eyes that were suddenly trained on him. "I'll see you at Buck's."

In front of them, Ben had gotten out of the car and was standing alone. His looming height and bulk had frightened the Greasers away. He stared- glared, really- as she and Dallas approached.

"Maybe." Ellie replied quietly, picking up her pace to leave him behind her. "You better get inside before the cops come by. See you!"

He grunted and veered off to the side, waving down a black haired boy with a scar running down from temple to chin. Ellie knew him vaguely as Angel and Tim's little brother.

Ben was staring hard at him as she came forward.

"You're an hour early." She commented with a warm smile. "And I thought you were picking me up at home."

He tilted his head down to return her smile as his hands journeyed to her waist, tugging her closer. "I guess I was just a little to eager to see you. Some girl answered your door and said you might be here."

Ellie reared back. She couldn't remember letting anyone inside before she went out...

She rolled her eyes. "Oh, it's probably Sylvia. She seems to have a habit of climbing through windows instead of ringing the doorbell."

Ben's gaze flickered above her head once more. He as tense; she could tell that much from the way his jaw clenched and his shoulders straightened. She made to turn her head and see what had grabbed his attention, but without warning he had her face in his big hands and his lips pressed to hers. A little startled, it took her a brief second to relax into his arms and kiss him back.

"What was that for?" She asked as he pulled away.

Ben shrugged and gave her a gentle nudge towards the passenger door. "I was suddenly overwhelmed by your beauty."

Ellie watched as Ben loped to get into the driver's seat. The briefest second of stillness inside the car was enough to shake her nerves. The decision to leave for Chicago had been floating around in her head since her grandmother's funeral, but she hadn't found time to tell Ben just yet. She wasn't sure how he'd take it.

"I need to tell you something." She started, once they were on the main road.

Ben's eyebrows rose in curiosity, but he kept his eyes forward instead of giving her his full attention. "That doesn't sound good."

Ellie chewed her lip. It was difficult to find the right words... She knew she had to go- there was no avoiding it- but she just didn't want to have to leave everything behind.

"I'm going back to Chicago."

He said nothing for quite some time, though Ellie could tell he had heard her by the way he frowned. Then, just before the railroad tracks, he pulled into an alley, backed up, and turned the car around.

"Where are we going?" Ellie asked nervously, twisting around in her seat so she could watch as the south-side shrunk further and further away. "I thought we were meeting Sandra and Bill at The Way Out."

Ben shook his head. His forehead was creased with lines, but he wasn't mad... not exactly.

"I'm taking you home, Ellie."

"Oh."

"So...Chicago..." Ben pronounced with a thoughtful sigh.

Ellie fidgeted, staring at her hands. Her nails were beginning to get uncomfortably long... and her hair needed washing, her eyebrows needed shaping, and she hadn't done laundry in so long that she had started wearing clothes that were at least three seasons behind. She hadn't realized she had let herself go so much.

"I know it's short notice-"

Ben chuckled dryly, cutting her off. 'Let me guess? It has something to do with your mysterious family?"

Her eyebrows furrowed at the bitterness in his voice. Struggling to find an answer that would satisfy him, she stuttered, "I-I want to tell you..."

"That's bullshit, Els." Ben shook his head. "If you had wanted to tell me, you would have. Just admit you don't trust me-"

"But I do!" She argued.

"God!" Ben snapped, smacking his hand against the wheel in a moment of irritation. "Can we just be honest for once? I like you, Ellie, I really do, but I'm starting to get the feeling that it's not mutual."

Ellie gaped at him. "Don't say that. I _do_ like you. How could you think otherwise?"

"Because..." Ben took a deep breath to steady his temper. "Because Winston knows about your family, doesn't he?"

He was right- Dallas did know... but it wasn't as if she had _wanted_ him to... Though she knew in her heart it wasn't the same. She had been scared of Dallas knowing simply because she didn't want him having access to the dufflebags. But with Ben... well, she didn't want to admit to him that she was just the same as any other trailer-trash greaser kid.

She stayed silent. It seemed to be the only thing she could do- it was also the worst.

Ben stopped the car in front of her house, but he didn't bother to cut the engine. Ellie could feel the car rumbling underneath her, like a big grey whale that had swallowed them whole..

"I think we should break up." He admitted, falling back in his seat.

Ellie's lip began to tremble as she stared at him, dumbfounded. She felt as if she was being tricked somehow, and in a few seconds he'd turn to her with his big grin and tell her he was only playing a joke. But she knew that wasn't something Ben would do.

"You're..." She swallowed heavily. "You're being serious?"

For the past two months they had been perfectly happy and content with each other. They hadn't even had their first fight yet!

Ben closed his eyes for a moment, and when he opened them he was back to being the kind, gentle boy Ellie knew.

He smiled- in a pitiful kind of way. "You fell for him, Ellie. Anyone with eyes can see it."

"No-!" She started to protest, but then her voice cracked and faltered and she found herself avoiding his pained gaze.

"It's okay." He said. He reached over and grabbed her hand from her lap, staring at their fingers as he spoke. "Really... I mean, I can't say I'm not pissed that you lead me on for so long, but it's my fault for not being able to see it."

Ellie felt her eyes begin to water, so she blinked furiously to keep them at bay. She had promised herself that the tears would stop the day she buried her grandmother.

"I just don't get it." She said, sniffing. "You aren't breaking up with me over the fact that I'm moving two states away, but because you think I have a crush on Dallas Winston? I've hardly even spoken to him since he got back!"

Ben shook his head. "Maybe that's true, but it doesn't change things. Do you know what it's like, having everybody know your girlfriend has the hots for another guy? I've spent two months being teased by my friends, trying to convince myself it didn't matter because I _knew_ you liked me...But then I saw him talking to you in the diner, Els, and you looked more like a couple than we ever did."

"But we aren't a couple!" Ellie exclaimed, clutching his hand tight. "I like _you_, Ben! Please, just believe me!"

With a gentleness that tugged at her heart, Ben pulled his hand from hers to cup her cheek, thumbing her warm skin as he searched her eyes.

"I do believe you..." He soothed, "I know you like me... but you like Winston more, and that's okay. But we can't put each other through the misery of long-distance dating when we both know it won't be me you'll be yearning to see when you're home."

She still couldn't believe it. This wasn't happening. This wasn't real. Not after everything that had happened in this god-forsaken year. Ben was one of the only good things to have happened to her, and now he was leaving too.

"Please, just don't do this to me right now..."

Ben stared at her, _really_ stared at her, and then shook his head in a way that told her that he could say nothing more.

She stared into those soft, apologetic green eyes and realized that she could never love someone as much as Ben could.

Leaning over the seat, Ellie placed her palms on his cheeks and kissed him with all the tenderness and adoration she felt for him- and even then it was not all that he deserved.

He pulled away and brushed away a tear that she had let escape.

"You know," Ben smiled, "It feels just like loosing a football game. At some point, you just got to admit the other team has too many points."

* * *

Dallas came stumbling into the Curtis' living room only to find it stuffed to the rafters. In front of him, Soda, Steve, Pony and Johnny crowded the couch while Two-Bit and Ellie squeezed into the love seat. All of them looked more than unhappy to be there.

"Sit." Darry commanded from in front of the television. He was already in his no-nonsense stance, feet spread apart and arms crossed over his broad chest.

Dallas rolled his eyes and made his way to the windowsill. It's ledge was just thick enough to let him sit down.

"What's happened? Two-Bit need bail money again?"

Two-Bit threw a couch pillow at him from across the room. "I only needed that bail money because I got caught up in a crime I didn't even commit!"

Dallas caught the pillow and threw it back, nearly hitting Ellie. She let out a distracted yelp of surprise.

Instead of apologizing, Dallas ignored her in favor or riling Two-Bit up. "Well, maybe next time you should listen to me when I say run!"

Darry spoke up just as Two-Bit had gathered a few more pillows into his arsenal.

"Quit it!" He snapped, "We aren't here to play around!"

"Actually, that's exactly the reason I came here." Steve muttered, chewing on a peanut-butter and jelly sandwich. "If I knew we were having a talk, I would have never have come."

Two-Bit and Soda gave enthusiastic nods in agreement.

"Me and Johnny were gunna go see the new Gregory Peck movie..." Pony sunk down low in his seat, hesitating under the icy coldness of his brother's gaze. "Never mind."

Once he was fully satisfied with Pony's resignation, Darry turned to the only girl in the room. Ellie had a hazy look on her face, dead to the world despite Two-Bit's hands in her hair, trying and failing to braid a few strands.

"Wake up, Princess!" He shouted in her ear.

Ellie started and swatted him away. "What?"

"The bags, Ellie." Darry grumbled, nudging his head towards the front door. "What's the plan?"

"I... I thought we already had a plan..." She blinked uselessly at them, fidgeting under their gaze. Dallas knew she wasn't too keen on the topic of her family and their problems, but it was more than that today.

He lit a cigarette and examined her. Maybe she was still torn up about her grandmother, or maybe she was scared about picking everything up and moving back to Chicago... He had no idea, honestly. It wasn't as if he was very tapped in to the mind of girls. They simply felt too much all at once- but maybe that was just a general human thing. But all Dallas ever felt was hungry or horny.

Or pissed off. For example, he was pretty pissed off that she was ditching them all to run back home to Daddy. Not that he'd miss her or anything, but... the boys had gotten attached to her. It wasn't fair on them- especially Johnny.

On the outside, Johnny looked to be taking the news fairly well, but Dallas knew better. Ever since Ellie had arrived, it seemed as if the two were attached at the hip. Where one was, the other wasn't far behind. Johnny _got_ Ellie. Like in the way Ponyboy got _him_. While the rest of the gang shook their heads and called them crazy for the shit they did or said, it was as if they had their own little club, exclusively for kids that actually _thought_ about _things_. Dallas wasn't like that. Everything was either black or white.

"I bet Shepard will take it off your hands." Dallas spoke up, blowing out a cloud of smoke through his nose like a bull. "We can sell it to him."

Steve, who had propped his head up with his hand from boredom, perked up at the sound of money. "How much each?"

"About-"

"No way," Ellie interrupted, sticking a hand up to stop them. "I'm not selling anything to any gangs. I'm not getting any more caught up in illegal activities, if I can help it."

"Then I'll sell it and you won't even have to get your fingers dirty." Dallas offered.

"It's a good investment, Princess. They'll sell for quite a bit of money." Two-Bit smiled and rested his forearm on her shoulder, his hand hovering just above her breast without either of them noticing. But Dallas did.

"I'm with Ellie." Johnny said in a soft, reluctant voice. "It sounds like trouble."

Ponyboy nodded from beside him, crossing his arms over his chest in imitation of his brother- though it didn't nearly have the same affect. "We sell it to them, and next thing we know there's a bunch of shot up dead kids on the news. Shepard isn't just gunna hoard a few guns to shoot cans with."

"Exactly!" Ellie exclaimed, smiling brightly at her supporters.

Dallas snorted at her. Did she think this was going to be a voting process? It was her stash; she had to make a decision, not them.

There was a brief silence where they all stared dumbly at each other, at a loss for options.

"Well," Darry grumbled loudly, "It can't stay where it is!"

Ellie let out a loud, whining groan and flung backwards into the sofa. "I know, I know, I know!"

"Jesus!" Pony hopped up from his seat and headed towards the kitchen. Dallas heard the distinct '_pop_' of the fridge being opened. Shouting from the next room, he added, "Why don't you just ditch it somewhere?"

"Shut up, Pony!" Steve growled from the couch, dodging Soda's cuff. "That's the stupidest-"

"Why don't we?" Ellie interrupted as she straightened. Her eyes went to Darry for approval. "Why can't we just ditch it somewhere?"

Dallas rolled his eyes. "If you're gunna ditch it somewhere, then you might as well sell it. Either way, some dumb kid'll find it and end up shooting his foot off. At least make a profit."

Ellie shot him an irritable look. Dallas shot her one back.

"We could just bury it somewhere safe, can't we?" Johnny asked with a yawn. He had big black bags under his eyes; he wasn't getting much sleep at home. But if Johnny was anything, he was a trooper. That kid never said a word of complaint unless someone pushed him. He was more of a man looking like a skinny thirteen year old than any rough-and-tuff Greaser in Tulsa.

Darry shrugged. "Do whatever you want, but do it soon."

* * *

Ellie pressed the tip of her shovel into the dirt, loosening a few millimeters of soil. The earth behind Buck's shed was packed tight and bone dry from the summer heat; it was nearly impossible to penetrate. For her, at least. Just a few feet away, Dallas and Johnny were having no problems digging. Two hours in and they had already had a hole four feet wide and nearly three feet deep.

"I'm a pretty useless person, aren't I?" She sighed, leaning on her shovel.

Dallas snorted. "It's 'cause you're a girl. Girls are useless."

She shot him a dirty look, but he had his head down as he worked and didn't notice.

"If we're so useless," She started with an edge to her voice. "Then why are boys always chasing us around?"

He smirked. "You're right. I guess they are good for _one_ thing."

It took her a couple of moments to pick up on his innuendo. Gasping with revoltion, she gave the little pile of dirt they had dug up a swinging kick, covering Dallas in a cloud of dust.

Johnny leaped back, his shovel clattering to the ground as Dallas hacked and swore and swiped at the dirt that had settled on his clothes.

"You goddamn bitch!"

"Dally!" Johnny chide as he tried to suppress a smile.

Scowling at the pleased expressions on their faces, Dallas bent down and grabbing a fist full of dirt.

"Don't you dare!" Ellie started as he brought his arm back in preparation. Johnny had made a run for safety the moment he had seen the weapon in his friend's hand, but Ellie wasn't as smart.

Now it was Dally's turn to smirk, though it was far more cruel than it was mischievous.

"I _just_ bought this dress, Dallas," Ellie tried to persuade, pointing to her light blue outfit. "You can't ruin it. You just can't-"

It was too late. Dallas let loose his handful of dirt and it sprayed into Ellie's face, sticking to her hot, clammy skin.

"I can do whatever the hell I want." Dallas stated smugly. "Like let you dig this hole yourself, for example."

Ellie rubbed her eyes and pouted. "You're being unusually mean today."

Johnny came back and picked up his shovel to start work again.

"It's 'cause he doesn't have a chance with you anymore." He explained bluntly, hacking at the dirt to dislodge a big rock. "He's only nice when he's trying to get laid."

Dallas shrugged at her. "That's true, actually."

Ellie stared at him for a moment, the memory of her breakup with Ben flashing like headlights behind her eyes. But she stopped herself from saying anything. The timing felt wrong; as if she was using their last moment together as some method to get back Dally's interest. It was too manipulative. It was too unlike her. Yet she wanted to do it all the same.

She sat down on the ground, ignoring her spoiled dress. The boys dug silently in front of her. They were covered in sweat and debris, and she knew without a doubt they were developing blisters. All for her.

Ellie watched them silently for another half an hour, wishing she could be of more help.

"That should do it." Dallas stated once they had hit three feet. The hole was a little wider on one side than the other, and the side that Johnny had dug looked as if it was about to cave in, but it was a good, deep hole and that's all they needed.

"Now we just have to drag it all in there." Ellie got up and headed towards the side of the shed where they had parked Darry's truck. A tarp covered most of the trunk. Peaking from the edge was a huge tool box and a few planks of wood. Dallas moved past her to grab a corner, tugging the tarp away with one big swoop.

Johnny groaned. Between the two boys, he looked the most tired. "Those things weigh a ton each."

Behind the wood, Ellie's dufflebags sat in a neat row, waiting to be discovered.

"You really wanna bury them?" Dallas tried one last time. He stared at the bags with unbidden yearning.

Ellie nodded.

Dallas went up and pulled one out of the truck bed. Johnny took it from him and began hauling the bag back to their hole, visibly straining under the weight.

Dallas took the second one and passed it to Ellie. She grabbed the handle, and the moment he let go the whole thing fell straight to the ground.

She shot him a hopeless look, hoping he'd take the bag from her. But he only smirked in that infuriating way that made Ellie annoyed as much as it gave her butterflies.

Whimpering quietly, she pulled the bag along as she followed in Johnny's tracks.

"Girls," He muttered loud enough for her to hear. "Useless."

* * *

**Hello lovelies! I know this is a tragically short chapter, but it was either this or no update for possibly another two weeks... I'm trying to get back into the swing of updating more regularly, but obviously I'm failing... ;(**

**Anyway, hope you guys found some entertainment in this chapter, at least! I know at least a few of you are jumping for joy about Ben's breakup with Ellie! And I'm sure some of you are worried about Ellie going back to Chicago...**

**Let me know your thoughts! **

**Thank you all for your continued support! And I hope you all have an amazing holiday season with all your loved ones! Love you guys so much!**

**Remember to review!**


	22. Lying is The Most Fun A Girl Can Have-

22.

Sylvia was standing at the edge of Buck's parking lot, clad in a skin tight skirt and go-go boots. She looked stunning -as usual- but it was Angel, standing beside her, that caught Ellie's attention. She had gotten a new and very mod dress... and had chopped off her long midnight hair to match. In it's place was something resembling a boy's cut, with a thin little fringe at the front to give it a feminine feel.

Angel brushed the fringe with her fingers nervously as Ellie approached.

"You've cut your hair!" She exclaimed in what she hoped was a neutral fashion.

The younger girl touched the edge of her hair again. Ellie could see the tell-tale signs of a home-made cut by the rough edges and slightly uneven lines.

Angel put on her usual devilish smirk, but it didn't have it's usual potency. "I was sick of looking like every girl here. Gotta' get attention somehow, right?"

"By looking like a boy?" Sylvia snorted, pivoting on her heels towards Buck's. "Good luck."

"I think it looks beautiful." Ellie stated with a smile stretched across her face. "You look like Aubrey Hepburn."

"I know." Angel replied defensively, crossing her arms over her chest as the two followed Sylvia towards the front door. But Ellie could see a significant perk in Angel's step from the complement.

Buck's was packed with more people than Ellie could count. Kids ranging from fourteen to mid-twenties littered across the makeshift bar and fought over the few tables that could fit in the room. Some sort of awful country music was playing above the chatter, but no one seemed to care too much. They were all drinking and smoking and flirting as if there was no tomorrow- and considering it was the last glorious day of summer, it might as well have been.

Sylvia took them to the bar straight away. Dallas was behind it with Buck and Angel's younger brother. He couldn't have been any older than Pony, but he was pouring out drinks and gulping them down as if he had been doing it all his life.

Sylvia waved her hand in the air and called Dally's name to catch his attention, but he was too busy arguing with a skinny kid in a Brumly jacket to notice her. Instead, Buck gave them beers (though Sylvia had asked for a vodka gimlet) with a cool, bored look on his face and a fat cigar hanging between the gap where his two front teeth should have been.

"This place is a shit-hole." She snapped as he moved on to cuter customers, sporting a gross smile. Sylvia took a heavily swig of beer and turned so that she could press her back against the bar. Her eyes, enhanced by impeccable make-up, scanned the room for anyone that was worthy of her attention.

As if he could sense that he was no longer in Sylvia's line of vision, Dallas turned away from the Brumly boy, locking eyes with Ellie across the bar. Ellie smiled widely in greeting, her hearth thrumming excitedly as he grinned mischievously back.

"Jesus!" Angel snorted with amusement in Ellie's ear, having seen the exchange. "You two might want to tone down your undying love before Sylvia sees you."

Ellie's attention shot towards Sylvia, but her back was still turned and the music and chatter was too loud for her to have heard Angel.

"Is it really so obvious?" Ellie giggled, feeling her face heat up. Maybe it was the beer in her hands, or Ben ending their relationship only a few hours prior, but Ellie didn't feel like putting up any exhausting facades tonight. She had a blatant crush on Dallas Winston and she didn't care _who_ knew it.

...Except maybe Sylvia.

"I thought you were being woo-ed by some football player." Angel commented. She was still fiddling with her hair, but Ellie was beginning to think it was subconscious.

Ellie stared down the neck of her beer as if it held something interesting in it's depths. She was trying very hard to avoid that subject, but it was beginning to get hard pretending that everything was still the same as it was. Her heart, no matter how much of a claim Dallas had on it, still ached for Ben. He was her first boyfriend, after all, and she had spent more than a whole summer by his side. And even if she didn't love him then didn't mean she couldn't have learned to... maybe things could have been different once she was in Chicago. Her mother would have been able to set Ellie's head straight. Her mother would be able to turn her back to the same girl that only ever dreamed of a handsome husband and a big house. That was the girl that would have wanted Ben as badly as she wanted Dallas. But that girl didn't exist.

Yet that thought sounded wrong in her head. That girl _did_ exist. She was standing right there in Ellie's shoes. It just wasn't the right version of her.

"He broke up with me." She sighed, exhausted by her own confusing mind. "I guess it was a mix of me going to Chicago and my so-called 'undying love' for Dallas."

Angel's face fell into a pitying frown. Leaving her beer on the counter, she pulled Ellie into a hug that was gladly- even desperately accepted.

"Oh darling," Angel sighed, "Summer love is the worst kind of love, but the sting'll fade before you even know it.

Ellie pulled away, her eyes watering and her chest full to the brim with emotion. "How are you always the one that ends up comforting me?"

Angel smiled brightly, looking very much proud of herself. "Because I'm damn well good at it. With two brothers, you've got to be."

Ellie giggled, her tears mercifully subsiding. "Your brothers need comforting?"

"You'd be surprised." Angel shot her youngest brother a smirk. "Boys like to pretend that they're all hard punches and swears, but I swear they're softer than any girl I've known. And they cry more too."

"_No one _can cry more than me." Ellie stated, a little ashamed.

Sylvia turned back towards them, ignorant of the conversation they just had. She nudged her head towards the door. "Kathy and her boyfriend's here, along with that kid you're always with, Ellie."

They all twisted around to see Kathy, Two-Bit, and Johnny making their way through the crowd. Multiple times, Two-Bit had to stop the procession to greet a friend or acquaintance with what they could tell (simply by the annoyed looks on their faces) was a sarcastic joke most likely made on their expense.

Ellie called Johnny's name, but her voice was just one among a hundred and his back was turned away from her.

"I'm going to go find him." Ellie told the girls before pushing off from the counter and immersing herself in a sea of people. She nudged her way towards the direction she had last seen Johnny, but the further she walked the more and more he seemed to flit in and out of her vision.

She managed to find Two-Bit, at least- or really, Two-Bit found her.

"Princess!" He cried, pulling her into a bear-hug that was so tight he could have broken her bones. "Are you ready for one last wild night in Tulsa?"

Ellie dislodged herself and rubbed her now sore arm. "More like a quiet night with friends before heading home early to finish packing."

"Boring!" Two-Bit pretended to yawn.

Kathy sighed from beside him, catching their attention. She seemed to be irritated, but that wasn't unusual when it came to the two's relationship. Ellie felt like she could get whip-lash just by being near them.

"Have you seen Sylvia, Els?" Kathy asked, looking around.

Ellie pointed towards the bar. "Angel and Sylvia should be over there."

Kathy nodded and started in that direction before turning her head to them. "Are you coming?"

Two-Bit opened his mouth to reply, but Kathy shot him a scathing look that shut him up. "Not you, Mathews. I mean't Ellie."

"Oh!" Ellie blinked, both frightened and uncomfortable. "Um, I'm going to go find Johnny, actually."

"He went down there." Two-Bit pointed towards the end of the room. "I think he was actually looking for you too."

Then he disappeared, running after Kathy and leaving Ellie very much alone. She hesitated for a moment, searching for a familiar face, but everyone around her was either a stranger or a very distant acquaintance.

Filling to the brim with social discomfort, she wadded through the room in search of Johnny.

Ellie made a full circle of the bar before she couldn't take the crowd and the growing heat of the room. Following a gust of cool breeze, she found that the back door had been propped open for circulation. She slipped through onto the porch, taking large gulps of fresh, sweat-free air. She had been to plenty of her parent's big get-togethers, countless fundraisers, and too many pageants, but she had never been in such a packed, tiny room before. People kept bumping into her like she was inside a pinball machine.

"You look nervous." Dally was leaning against the siding, a cigarette hanging from his lips. The tip of it burned strikingly red in the dark summer night.

She _was_ nervous. And it was only going to get worse with him around.

"I would have thought you'd be with Sylvia by now." She commented, coming up to stand beside him.

"I'm avoiding her."

Ellie rose a brow and hid her pleased smile. "She's your girlfriend."

"Maybe." Dallas shrugged, running a hand through his golden-white locks. He appeared tired, Ellie noted, and stressed out.

She inched a little closer and leaned her shoulder up against his. It was a small gesture, but butterflies pooled in her chest nevertheless.

"You still being hounded by the police?" She asked, wondering if maybe that was the source of his distress.

Dally shook his head and took another drag of his smoke. "Naw. They caught Peter this afternoon, and he didn't rat me out."

"Oh." Ellie nodded, feeling as if there as something jammed between them; words that he had chosen to keep unsaid. "That's good."

Dallas puffed on his cigarette a little longer, and Ellie watched in fascination as he let out a row of smokey rings to float into the open air, spiraling wider and wider until they disfigured and disappeared.

"You still planning to leave?"

And there it was. The words unsaid. She should have known.

"Yes," She stated resolutely, "I'm going tomorrow morning. You can come see me off, if you like."

"I _don't_ want to see you off." Dallas said in what she swore was a whine.

Ellie nudged his shoulder and smiled, hoping to lighten his mood. "You'll regret it. Don't you want to shoot me one last snarky insult before I ride off into the sunset?"

"Snarky insult?" He repeated, his brows furrowing. Taking a swig of the beer dangling in his hand, he mumbled something to himself, too low for her to catch.

She nudged him again, a little harder. This time he retaliated, bumping her so hard she nearly tripped. Ellie laughed out loud and he managed a small, mopey, spiritless smile.

"And here I thought you were going to convince me to stay." Ellie reclaimed her spot and threaded her arm through his, clutching the crook just above his elbow. He glanced at her questioningly, but didn't pull away. She was never really the one to instigate any contact between them. All this time she had been so afraid of being rejected, or worse, taking things too far. But now that she was leaving, touching him didn't seem so scary. In fact, she craved it. She wanted to have as much as possible before it was over. She wanted to be able to hoard the memories inside and pick through them like old photographs when she felt lonely. And they wouldn't only be Dallas- Johnny and Two-Bit and Ponyboy and the rest of them would be locked up in her heart for the rest of her life, long after they forget her name.

She loved them. And maybe she only felt that way because she was leaving, but right at that very moment she couldn't have loved anything else more than she loved them.

Dally threw his arm over her shoulder as if he understood instinctively that she was close to tears. Ellie turned towards him and hid her face in his chest, breathing in the scent of cigarettes and beer.

"You'll miss me, won't you?" She asked quietly.

He had a smoke pinched between his thumb and index, but he let the rest of his fingers graze across the bare skin of her shoulder. "I already do, Princess."

Ellie peered up at him. Steely blue orbs found hers, as unreadable as ever. It set her heart pounding so rapidly she thought she might loose her ability to breath.

Transferring his cigarette to his other hand, his arm slid down from her shoulders to her waist -right where she liked it- and his fingers slipped under the hem of her blouse in a now familiar manner.

"You don't have to go." He insisted in a low, husky voice that nearly had her agreeing.

Ellie tore away from his gaze, choosing instead to close her eyes and lean her head back against his chest, savoring the feeling.

When she didn't reply, he pushed on.

"You have a house here, Ellie. And we can all help out-"

"No," She interrupted, "I'm not asking anyone for any more help. That whole dufflebag fiasco was too much already."

Dallas chuckled and took another swig of his beer. Ellie regretted leaving hers at the bar.

"If you think that's the worst thing we've ever done, then you really are an idiot, Els."

"_You're_ an idiot." She shot back childishly, smacking his chest. She felt a bit melancholy, perhaps bitter-sweet, if that was considered a viable feeling. But Dallas always found a way to throw her out of a funk.

She smiled and asked, "How is it that I always end up alone with you?"

"Fate?" Dallas joked, flicking his finished cigarette over the porch railing. "Someone up there just really wants you to let me-"

She shot her hand up to cover his mouth. "Do not finish that sentence, Dallas Winston."

He pretended to bite her and she retreated with a gasp.

"It's not like you haven't already done it." He sounded sour.

Ellie blinked. "What?"

Dallas searched her face; for what, she had no idea. Did he think she was lying? Did he actually believe she had -as Two-Bit would put it- boffed Ben? What part of 'waiting until marriage' did he not understand?

A smug, self-satisfied smirk spread across Dally's face. Ellie wished she was capable of lying just so she could have the satisfaction of wiping it off.

She tried to untangle from his hold but he wouldn't let go. His chest rumbled with laughter and her ears turned pink.

"You've been a real jerk all day, you know that?" She pouted.

"I dug a hole for you." He shot back lazily, "A damn big hole. Do you have any idea how much of a pain in the ass that was? And that makes me a jerk?"

Ellie leaned back into him, slinging her arms around his torso so that they fit even snugger.

"_My_ jerk."

She had meant to say it, but she hadn't realized how much weight the words held.

Mine.

Possessive. Clingy. Suggestive- painfully so.

The way she had whispered it didn't make things easier.

His fingers stilled under her shirt, and then retracted. Her heart stopped.

"Dallas-"

He shook his head to silence her. His eyes gave no hint of how he felt, but the downturn of his lips was bleak.

He finished off his beer before he said anything, chugging it down as if it had the power to smooth over the tension.

"I know I fucked up that day after I kissed you." He admitted with obvious difficulty. "And I get it. I shouldn't have expected you to wait around for me to get my head straight. Hell, it's not as if we left off on a good note."

Ellie licked her lips, unable to speak.

Dallas let out a rough chuckle, staring at the empty bottle in his hands. One edge of the label was loose, and he picked at it with his thumb nail.

"Darlin', you're really riling me up right now, and I'd be lyin' if I said I hadn't thought of making a move these past few minutes."

_'Do it!' _Ellie wanted to beg him, but she knew it wasn't as simple as that. There was something else he needed to say, and she had a feeling it would hurt.

"But I know how it feels be cheated on, and no matter how much of a piece of shit I can be, it's not something I'd wish on my worst enemy."

_Oh._

She had forgotten about Ben. A wave of self-hatred overcame her and she pulled away from Dallas. He let her.

"Y-you're right." She choked out, wrapping her own arms around herself. The urge to tell him about Ben's decision to end their relationship was stronger than ever, but she stomped it down with all her might. It was better this way. It was better for Dallas to feel as if whatever they could have had was over.

_'This is the end, after all.' _She thought despondently. Maybe she would be back next summer, even just to visit her grandmother's grave, but she knew that things wouldn't be the same. Life had a way of making sure of it. Just as much as Dallas couldn't have expected her to wait for him, neither could she.

No, it wasn't fate that had always brought them together. It was simple coincidence. A random moment in life that could have meant something if they had let it- but they hadn't, and now it was gone.

"I'm going to go find Johnny." Ellie told him, ducking back into the party without waiting for a reply. She could feel the tell-tale signs of tears- tight chest, watery eyes, stinging nose. She was such a baby. And a coward to boot.

* * *

She found the boys back by the bar. Two-Bit was shouting something into Johnny's face, drunk and laughing at his own joke.

After taking a moment to gather herself, she approached.

"Do you need saving?" She teased Johnny, enduring Two-Bit's rough hair ruffle. At this point it was easier to just accept them and fix her hair afterward.

Johnny pulled her in for a hug, whispering in her ear, "I saw you outside with Dally. Everything okay?"

She nodded and let out a small smile. He moved over and let her take the free seat between the boys.

"Where's Kathy?" She asked Two-Bit.

He slammed his beer bottle onto the bar, unsteady on his feet. "Can you believe it? She's been pissed at me all day, but she won't tell me why! Damn broad is always mad at me for nothing."

Ellie patted his arm. "Poor Two-Bit."

"At least she hasn't broken up with you." Johnny supplied as he tried to wave over one of the men behind the bar. Both Dallas and Curly had ditched their posts, but Buck and an unfamiliar boy were still handing out drinks.

"Speaking of break-ups," Ellie took a deep breath, "Ben broke up with me."

Both boys froze and turned to look at her with disbelief. She didn't shy away; it felt good to tell _someone_.

Then, she caught them exchange an odd look.

"What?" Ellie asked, feeling uneasy. "Why do I feel like I'm on a different page?"

Two-Bit hopped up onto the stool beside hers and started to dig through his jacket. "Do you know where he lives?"

There was a short click and suddenly he was wielding his switchblade. Ellie stared at it, wide-eyed, and made a strangled, frightened noise in the back of her throat.

Johnny snatched it out of his hands and flipped the blade back into the handle before stashing it in his back pocket. "Two-Bit, you can barely walk let alone win a fight. Why don't you take the night off and save the rumbles for tomorrow?"

"No," Ellie cut in, "We aren't doing _anything_ to _anyone_."

Two-Bit smacked the counter with his hand dramatically. "Well, we can't just let him mess with our girl!"

"No, Two-Bit."

"...Damn." His frown was exaggerated though his suggestion was genuine. If she had been a different girl, she might have took him up on it. But Ben didn't deserve to be punished; he had only been following his gut.

Johnny patted her back. "There are plenty of fish in the sea, as they say."

"Yeah, Dallas-shaped ones, more specifically." Two-Bit smirked.

Rolling her eyes, Ellie took Two-Bit's beer and sipped, claiming it as her own. He wouldn't miss it; he had more booze than blood in his body by then.

Johnny gave up on trying to get another beer, turning back to his friend with a look of mild disgust. "I'm sure someone has already said this, but your weird obsession with their relationship-"

"Or lack there of..." Ellie interjected.

Johnny nodded. "-Is starting to get pretty creepy."

Two-Bit shook his head- and kept shaking it until he became visibly dizzy. "Don't tell me you haven't been rooting for it as well, Johnnycake. The sexual tension between-"

Ellie nearly fell out of her seat. "Two-Bit, say one more word and I'll tell Kathy about that blonde girl you were trying to get with last weekend."

He quirked an eyebrow, thinking hard. "There...there was no blonde last weekend."

"_So_?" She shot back threateningly. She hadn't really seen Two-Bit flirting with anyone, nor would she have lied just to get back at him. She just didn't want to talk about Dallas anymore.

Two-Bit shot her a sulky glare. "You've been hanging around Sylvia too much, Princess."

Feeling a little bad, she reached over and gave his ear a teasing tug. A smile cracked his frown and he gave her side a hard poke, sending Ellie into a fit of giggles.

Johnny ignored them, having finally caught one of the server's attention. The same skinny Brumly boy that Dallas had been arguing with previously came up and handed Johnny three beers without a word.

Ellie inspected hers as he passed them out. The bottle was wet with condensation and it felt as if it might slip out of her hands. "Buck must have a million kinds of booze in this place. Can't I ask for something sweeter?"

"You can try." Johnny shrugged, popping the cap off of the bottle in his hand and giving it to her before taking the one in her hands and opening it as well. "But Buck doesn't really serve minors anything besides beer."

Then something caught his attention from across the room. "While we're on the subject of cheating spouses, though..."

She and Two-Bit followed his line of vision, toward the stairs. They only caught a glimpse of wheat-blonde hair and a baby blue dress, followed by a tall twenty-something in plaid, but it seemed to be enough for Two-Bit and Johnny to be able to paint a picture.

"Who was that?" Ellie asked, only half-interested. She couldn't think of any blondes she had been introduced to and she was sure she didn't know the man.

"Sandy."

"No way." Ellie breathed. Naturally, the self-conscious little blonde's name sent a jolt of shock through her. Sandy? Soda's girlfriend? They must have been joking. The two of them were like a match made in heaven. How could the girl who stared at Soda like he was a member of the _Beatles_, be upstairs cheating on him?

Johnny shrugged. "It's true. I caught her fooling around with a River King at the movies once."

"I think she has a thing for older men." Two-Bit mentioned offhandedly, his attention already drifting away. "It's fucked up."

Ellie watched the top of the stairs keenly, hoping to see another flash of blue or blonde. She just _couldn't_ believe it. She had half the mind to go up there and see it for herself.

"What about Soda?" She asked. "You've told him, right?"

"Tried to-" Johnny let out a grunt and jolted forward slightly, as if he had been pushed. Behind him, a petite young woman gave him an careless apology, too preoccupied with dabbing the margarita from her blouse to acknowledge the boy she had nearly tipped over.

"It's okay." Johnny mumbled back, his cheeks reddening.

Two-Bit, a self-proclaimed subtly specialist, gave him a hard kick in the shins and mouthed_ 'Buy her a drink!'_

He got a wide-eyed, deer-in-the-headlights kind of look and shook his head.

Ellie tilted back in her seat to get a better look at the girl. She was older than them. Maybe Two-Bit's age. Her brown hair was cut at the shoulders and curled at the end, framing a long, blemish-free face.

"That's a pretty blouse." She mentioned, catching the girl's attention. "It's really a tragedy to get it stained like that."

The girl smiled shyly and a set of dimples appeared on her cheeks. She gestured to the center of the bar, where a dozen or so people could be seen dancing to an old Elvis song. "One of my friends got a little too drunk and spilled her drink everywhere. You might want to avoid that area or you'll end up with ruined shoes."

Ellie smiled back. "Will do. I'm Ellie, by the way. What's your name?"

She hesitated from behind Johnny for a quick second before she stepped forward in front of their little group. Picking at her napkin nervously, she seemed to shrivel up under both boy's heavy stares. Ellie wanted to give them a slap in the chest to snap them out of it, but it would have only made things worse.

"Dalphine."

"That's such a pretty name!" Ellie exclaimed, distracted for the moment. Two-Bit gave her foot a little nudge and she refocused.

"Oh! Silly me! This is Two-Bit-" She waved vaguely at the copper-headed boy before putting a gentle hand on the other's shoulder. "And this is Johnny."

Dalphine blushed, gave them both a polite 'hello', and turned to stare at her napkin again.

"You know what would get that stain out?" Ellie went on, "Baking soda! Johnny, you know where the kitchen is, right?"

Johnny shot her a frantic look that would have had a million meanings if she had bothered to pay attention to it.

"S-sure I do." He muttered eventually, grip iron-tight on his beer.

She smiled expectantly at him. "... You should take her in there. Wouldn't want to ruin your night with a stain, right Dalphine?"

Johnny wavered in his seat for a moment, trying to find the right words that would get him out of this situation. When he got up, Dalphine sent him an equally awkward smile and followed him around the bar to the kitchen door. Both of their faces were red.

Bolting from his stool, Two-Bit grabbed Ellie's face between his hands and laughed loudly. "You beautiful, wonderful girl! I _love_ you!"

Ellie giggled and pulled his hands away. "Gee-wiz, Two-Bit, I didn't know you felt so strongly about me! I thought you only liked blondes!"

"You've broken the cycle." He replied with a wide grin, hiking his elbow against the counter and polishing off his fresh beer. "Why'd you do it, though? You don't usually push Johnny out of his comfort-zone like that..."

She shrugged, more interested in letting her drink cool her in the hot room rather than drinking it. Her head was getting fuzzy.

"I don't know." She admitted, "After all the nice things he's done for me, I just wanted to return the favor...Although, he might not be thanking me just yet."

"Cursing you, most like."

Ellie laughed again, but her thoughts were wandering and she couldn't find anything else to say. Suddenly regretting sending her best friend off with someone else, she wondered what she could do until he came back or she sobered up enough to drive.

Two-Bit's arm slipped and he nearly fell, sending his beer bottle to the hardwood floor with a dull clatter.

"You're too drunk." Ellie told him. She grabbed hold oh his jacket to keep him up. "I think it's about time you go home."

Two-Bit waved her off. "It's not even twelve yet! Anyway, I'm Kathy and Johnny's ride. I can't leave 'em here!"

"Johnny can find a different way home, and if he has any luck, then he won't need one." Ellie scanned the room and found Kathy sitting with Angel at a table tucked in behind the stairs. "And there's Kathy. She looks sober enough to drive you instead."

Two-Bit didn't seem to be on the same wave-length as her.

"Kathy?" He gasped excitedly, reminiscent of an over eager puppy. "Where's Kathy?"

Ellie stuck up a finger and pointed. "Over-"

Two-Bit was gone before she even finished. Ellie sighed and sunk into her seat. Now she was _really_ regretting sending Johnny off with that girl, but judging by what she saw in the crowd, it was right about that time of night when everyone was splitting off into pairs.

Her interest drifted towards the back door, but she didn't know if Dally was still outside. Or if she even wanted to find him again. The more they interacted the more she entertained the thought of staying. At this rate she would have to be dragged back to Chicago.

"You look lonely."

A shiver ran up her spine and she turned her head, fully expecting to see Dallas to be staring back at her with those unreadable blue eyes.

But it wasn't Dallas. It was Tim. All six feet of intimidation and nefariousness, and that raw jagged scar.

Her stomach dropped. "Maybe, but I've never really had a problem with being alone."

"Then you're one of a kind." He said, sitting down on Johnny's old stool. She wished he hadn't. "Most girls are always running around in packs."

Ellie took a sip of her now warm beer, wondering what she had gotten into. Maybe if she ignored him, he'd go away- but if he was anything like the type of boy she thought he was, that would only egg him on. Insulting him enough for him to leave wasn't an option either; years of strict social expectations had made it difficult for her to be anything less than courteous to strangers.

"I'm a lot of things, but I'm no different from any other girl."

Her eyes drifted from Tim's scary face towards the entrance. She wasn't that drunk... maybe she could get herself home if she drove _very slowl_y.

Tim wasn't oblivious to her discomfort; that much she knew from the cruel humor in his eyes.

"That's a relief, then." He turned away from her to wave over Buck, and though scowling, he came over almost immediately.

"What'ya want?"

"Whiskey on the rocks and..." He glanced at her again, appraising. "Get her a daiquiri, will you?"

Ellie opened her mouth to object, but the look he gave her shut her up.

"Relax, it's just a drink." He smiled, and for a brief second he might have looked friendly. "No strings attached, I promise."

Buck wandered back with the drinks and the Shepard leader tossed him a few dollars. He was so confident, Ellie noticed. There was a vague memory in her mind about the officers speaking of him at the diner, though she hadn't known him at the time. They had said that Tim Shepard was something like a protege to her father, if only they had ever met. And the past few minutes that she had sat with him had proved it to be true. He was young, most likely just out of high school, but he commanded a troop of boys like one would train dogs, and there was little doubt he had the same ambitious willpower as the Carter patriarch.

Ellie looked down at the drink sitting on the counter. It was bright pink and sitting in a cocktail glass. She took a sip and found herself in a wonderful world of strawberries. It was so good she almost forgot who had gotten it for her.

"Good, right?" Tim looked as if he was about to pat himself on the back. "I'd drink those things day and night if I didn't have a reputation to keep up."

Ellie giggled despite herself, cursing all those beers she had consumed. "You never know, maybe if you drink them, everyone will start to think they're really cool and tough."

"I think the pink would really set me back." Tim rolled the glass of whiskey around in his hand before taking a sample. He didn't even wince as he swallowed.

"Trade?" Ellie suggested, nudging her drink towards him.

He pretended to glance around the room suspiciously before he took the long stem in his fingers and brought the drink to his lips.

"You were right." She smiled, "It doesn't help at all. I think your reputation really is ruined now."

"At the hands of a Soc as well." He added, nudging his whiskey towards her. "You said 'trade'. Have you drank whiskey before?"

Ellie bit her lip, staring at the inch of honey-brown liquid, chilling under a few sparse ice cubes.

"Tons." She said, thinking of the bonfire and how she had sat on the back of a pick-up truck with Dallas as they shared a bottle of Jack. Tons too much.

Without anymore hesitation, she picked up the drink and took a sip.

Tim chuckled as her face twisted up. "Well, it seems like you're a natural with hard liquor. We should trade permanently."

Ellie shook her head and snatched her drink back, hoping the taste of strawberry would overpower the fire running down her throat. "You're just trying to get me drunk."

"I think it's working." Tim shot back, with a smile that made her nervous and... light. Ellie wasn't stupid- or at least not _that_ stupid. Tim was flirting with her. A boy didn't buy a girl a drink and chat with her for clean, innocent fun. Especially not boys like Tim Shepard.

And, _okay_, she was flirting with him back. But she was drunk and lonely and he was so much like Dallas but without all the heartache.

She took a long sip of her daiquiri, hyper aware of his dark blue gaze.

"I'm not going to sleep with you." She admitted finally, forcing herself to lock eyes with him despite the instinct to ignore him altogether. "I'm real grateful for the first good drink I've ever had, and you were really nice for coming by and keeping me company, but I'm just not that kind of girl, drunk or not."

Tim's eyebrows shot up, his lips tilted in a barely-there smile. She had expected him to be mad, but instead he was... satisfied? She must have read all the signals wrong.

"You set on another guy?"

Ellie shot him a mock glare. "Oh, like you don't know. All of Tulsa knows, apparently, so if his best friend doesn't, then... well you must not be a very good best friend."

"I'm definitely not." Tim said, "I just tried to sleep with his girl. Usually I succeed."

"Oh, I'm sure Sylvia'll cave eventually."

"I meant you."

Ellie scoffed and took another long sip of her drink, this time to get a little more tipsy. "I'm not Dally's girl."

"Not officially." Tim slid off of his stool, whiskey still in hand. He didn't look as tall and terrifying as he did a few minutes ago. Even the horrid scar on his face seemed to be fading away.

He bent down and kissed her lightly on the cheek.

"You're an admirable girl, Ellie." He whispered in her ear. "I'll tease Dally until the end of time for shacking up with a Soc, but I know you'll make him happy... even if it makes you miserable."

Then he gave her arm a squeeze and wandered off, leaving Ellie alone, red-faced, and stunned.

Angel was right; her brothers were soft. And crazy.

* * *

Dallas was tense in his seat, one hand digging into the wood of the table he sat at, the other clutching his beer so tightly it might shatter. Curly was sitting opposite him with another Shepard boy, and they were both watching him closely.

"Jesus, Dally." Curly spoke hesitantly, worried his words might trigger an explosion. "I haven't seen you this pissed off since your old man was in town. Take a deep breath, will you?"

Dallas could hardly hear him. Every fiber of his being twisted and shivered in anger, and it took everything he had not to get up and bloody his knuckles.

Curly followed his line of vision. Realization dawned on his face. "Oh."

"I'm going to kill him." Dally snapped, "And then I'm going to kill her."

Dallas had honed in on Ellie the moment he had come back inside, watching her with Johnny and Two-Bit, but keeping his distance. He needed to think, and thinking was difficult when the source of his problem was tucked under his arm and biting her lip and... _God._

He wanted her. He did, he really, really did. There wasn't a damn doubt in his head. But that wasn't the problem. What was really tearing at him was _how_. How was he supposed to have her when she was tied up with that idiot football player? He knew it didn't make sense for him to care about whether or not she cheated on him; Dallas himself had never been a good example of devotion. But he just... he wanted _all _of her. And the thought of some disgusting Soc sticking his hands on her made him sick.

Not to mention the stupid idea she had in her head to leave. Dallas had been half hoping she'd change her mind on her own, but now the situation was looking pretty bleak.

'_Good fucking riddance, then_.' He thought with another surge of anger.

As if Satan himself had put a curse upon Dallas, Sylvia chose that very moment to occupy the last free seat at their table.

"Hello boys." She said in her low, honeyed voice that Dallas always associated with arsenic. He was sure she was only really speaking to him, but he couldn't bother to tear himself away from his current engrossment just to entertain her.

It didn't deter her- nothing deterred Sylvia.

"What're you looking so heatedly at?" Like Curly, she turned her head in the direction Dally was glaring. Suddenly realizing the mistake he was making, Dallas tore away from the sight and turned to her. But it was too late. Sylvia smiled devilishly and touched a red-clawed hand to her cheek. "Oh, well would you look at that! Ellie has really been getting around lately, hasn't she?"

A few feet away and blatantly ignorant of their observers, Tim Shepard and Ellie were flirting away, their knees touching and her cheeks tinted a delicate pink.

"I just _adore_ her, don't you?" Sylvia went on casually, pretending as if she hadn't seen Dally's obvious show of jealousy. "The moment I saw her, I knew I had to have her around. I mean, a Soc playing Greaser? How dramatic! Really, I had only expected her to last a few weeks before she would go running back to her nice, safe little life in Chicago, thoroughly frightened of how _rough_ and _tough_ it is to live on the wrong side of the tracks. But she really stuck it out, you know? I'm actually kind of proud."

Beside them, Curly and the other Shepard boy seemed to notice the change in atmosphere. Curly gave Dallas a pat on the back before the two got up and headed towards the jukebox, which was conveniently surrounded by a gaggle of girls.

Dallas wanted to tell Sylvia to shut up, but he knew she wouldn't have listened either way. Instead he watched as Ellie passed her drink to Tim, fuming over the small, genuine smile on her face and how, seconds later, she tipped her head back to laugh.

Sylvia picked up Dally's pack of smokes from the table and stuck one between her lips. "It's hard not to like her after a while, even if she is just another rich girl. She's just so stupid and oblivious, I guess I started to feel bad for her or something. Now I couldn't imagine getting rid of her, she's practically a sister to me!"

She reached into his front pocket for his lighter, and try as he might, Dallas couldn't ignore the feeling of her fingers trailing down his thigh.

Sylvia giggled and lit her cigarette. "I nearly died of laughter when I found out about her little crush on you!"

Dallas tensed in his seat and finally gave Sylvia the attention she had been so eager for. She was still sitting casual, his cigarette poised between her fingers and a knowing grin on her ruby lips. She offered him a drag; after a second of indecision, he took it.

"Then imagine my surprise," She went on in a sultry murmur, "when I found out you liked her back just as much!"

Her sharp gaze turned back to Ellie and Tim. A cruel tone tinted her voice. "Oh, Dally, you poor, silly boy. Do you think this is all Ellie's fault? You knew from the very start what would happen. The only reason she looked at you was to fulfill some bad-boy fantasy and to get back at her father for ditching her in this shit-hole. And now she's going to run off to Chicago and get married to some old rich man, and the next time you see her she'll be fat with his baby, and when you call her name her face will turn red with embarrassment and she'll pretend she's never even _met_ the likes of you."

Dallas could hear his heart pounding in his ears like a runaway train- out of anger, out of hurt, out of desperation, he couldn't tell.

As if he knew they were watching, Tim leaned in towards Ellie. Her already pink face turned violently red as his lips pressed against her cheek, his fingers wrapping around her forearm. When he pulled away and stood up, his razor gaze fell on Dallas.

Tim smirked, waved, and sauntered away.

Sylvia screeched as his hand shot out and clutched the red mane at the base of her head.

"Fuck you, Sylvia." Dallas hissed, relishing in the look of fear in her face, lapping up what little control he had left.

He bent down and kissed her roughly and messily, more furious than desiring. He pulled away before she could reciprocate, only to trail his lips down her neck, biting and sucking hard.

'Y-yeah, baby," He heard her gasp, laughter bubbling in her voice. "Fuck you too!"

* * *

Dallas sat on the edge of his bed, a new cigarette half finished between his lips. He kept his focus on the lighter in his hand, flipping the lid, igniting the wick, and then flipping the lid once more to distinguish. He repeated the process over and over, calmed by brief flicker of flames.

Sylvia's hand snaked up and snatched the cigarette away. She was lying in his bed, her lower half tangled in his blankets but the rest of her was left shamelessly bare. Dallas couldn't even bring himself to admire it.

"It's weird, isn't it?" She said, staring up at the ceiling. "It's weird how we always end up together. It's like we belong to each other, you know? I don't think I was ever worried about being broken up permanently."

Dallas wanted to vomit. "Sylvia, I don't belong to you, so get the fuck out and let me sleep, will you?"

She was hurt. He could tell by her silence.

Sylvia slid out from under the covers and searched the floor until she found all her clothing. With her back facing him, she began to dress.

"Whatever helps you sleep at night, asshole." She shimmied into her tight skirt, her wide hips swaying to ease the fabric up. She turned back to him when she was done, hands on her hips. "So, what then? You think you belong to her now? It's like I told you, Dallas. She's _leaving_. And even if she stayed, you really think she'd date you?"

She gestured around the room, growing angrier and angrier. "_This_, is what dating you is, Dallas. It's a fight, a hard fuck, and then getting booted out before the bed is even warm. She can't even give you _one_ of those things."

"Get the fuck out!" Dallas snarled, getting up. He had thrown himself in jeans a few seconds after the deed was done, revolted with himself and suddenly unwilling to be bare in front of her, as if it somehow gave her power over him. Now he was glad to have done so; yelling at girls with his dick out had never really helped a situation.

"Ellie would rather fuck a pig than a Greaser!" Sylvia shouted back, tears streaking down her face, no longer wearing the mask of a collected viper. It was all Sylvia now, every jealous, heartbroken inch of her. He almost felt bad for being the cause of it. "Why do you think she was with that football player instead of you, huh? He's rich, handsome, _nice_\- everything you aren't! Hell, now that they're over, maybe _I _should try and snag him! I mean, it's not like we're together anymore, right? Three years, Dallas! Three years of _us_, and you're going to throw it away for some prissy Soc that won't even be in town by tomorrow?"

Dallas froze. He felt as if he had been on the verge of death, only to be shocked back to life. "They aren't together anymore?"

Sylvia's eyes widened and a hand flew to her gaping mouth. "I- I mean't-"

Dallas pushed past her, racing down the stairs.

* * *

Angel made a humorously baffled face at Ellie after witnessing Dallas run outside, bare-footed, shirtless, and clutching a bottle of Jack.

"This turned out to be a wilder night than I expected." Ellie said, smiling. "I'm going to miss this."

Angel placed her hand over hers and squeezed. "You'll come back next summer, and it'll all be the same as it was before, you'll see."

But Ellie was hardly comforted. Angel's words were kindhearted, but they both understood it wasn't true. As if to make up for her lie, Angel hopped up from her seat and, still clutching Ellie's hand, pulled them onto the dance floor. Though most had either disappeared upstairs, gone home, or was turning down the night at one of the many tables, a few people were still dancing to a Beach Boys song. Ellie had never heard of it before, but the beat was quick and happy and Angel easily pulled her into doing an embarrassing rendition of the twist.

It wasn't much longer before Dallas interrupted them again. He came back in and obtained three more beers before making his way over.

He passed one to Angel. "I'm giving you one so you'll go away."

"Already gone." Angel smirked, sending Ellie a wink before she sauntered towards her two brothers, who had taken up the table behind the stairs. A handful of Shepard boys were crowded around them, and it was obvious by the way they were speaking that they were getting up to no good.

"Where are your shoes?" Ellie asked, eyeing him up and down, trying not to linger too long on his broad chest. "And your shirt?"

"Probably better if you didn't know." He admitted, passing her a beer.

She shook her head. "I've got to sober up if I want to drive home."

"Trust me, you're gonna need it." Dallas nudged it towards her again and this time she took it.

Ellie took a sip and watched him wearily. He seemed a bit jittery and nervous, but in a good mood none the less. She eyed his outfit again, looking for some sort of clue. Her best guess was that he had retired to bed early, but then why was he awake again, and why was he running outside with a bottle of booze?

"Why are you so happy all of a sudden?" She wondered out loud.

"I heard some good news, that's all." Dallas reached into his jeans and pulled out a ring.

Ellie remembered it instantly; it was the class ring Sylvia usually sported on her thumb, the one Dallas had given her. "You broke up?"

"Something like that."

There was a commotion by the front, but before Ellie could get a good look, Dallas was pulling her past the bar and into the empty living room.

"What're-" Confused and a little worried for her well-being, Ellie tried to get some sort of answer to satisfy her, but before another word could slip out, Dallas had her pressed up against the back of the sofa. He placed one hand on her hip while the other braced against the couch, dipping down so that they were face to face. He was still genuinely smiling, but the atmosphere wasn't so breezy now that they were alone. She chanced a quick peek up and was startled by the openness in his eyes- and even more startled by what she found in them. Ellie felt her face heat up.

"You didn't tell me." He stated, and she caught a little bit of annoyance in his voice despite his cheer.

"You're going to have to be a little clearer." Ellie replied in a whisper, both from their close proximity and the sudden dryness of her mouth.

He pinched a bit of skin on her hip playfully, eliciting a squeal and a giggle. "You know exactly what I'm talking about. It's been a whole fucking day and you didn't think to tell me you aren't seeing that Soc anymore?"

"Oh."

"Yeah, '_oh'_."

Ellie bit her lip and shrugged. She knew all the reasons why, but they didn't seem to be surfacing in her mind anymore. She glanced at his other hand by the sofa; he was still clutching his class ring. "Is that why you broke up with Sylvia?"

Dallas shook his head. "Either way, we wouldn't have worked out."

She was supposed to feel guilty, and if anything, relieved. But all she could muster was despair.

"We're a few months too late, it seems." She let out a low, bitter laugh and reached up to touch the side of his face. He had a day's worth of stubble growing along his jaw.

"You can stay." He countered pressingly, catching her gaze and holding it. "You'll be fine. It won't be as hard as you think."

Ellie felt as if her heart might shatter. How could she explain it to him? Either way, he wouldn't understand. Really, what could she do? Quit school and get some minimum-wage job at the grocery store so she could live pay-cheque to pay-cheque? Why _should_ she? Why should she when she could go back home and actually live the life she was supposed to live?

For him, of course.

And though there was a million reasons why she shouldn't throw her life away for a high-school drop out with a record as long as his arm, it was still a tantalizing option, and one she still found herself considering.

As it turns out, Ellie never really had to make a decision at all.

Three seconds later, Johnny was slamming the living room door open, his hair in a mess and his shirt mis-buttoned.

"Ellie, your car is on fire!"

In front of her, Dally was trying but failing to hide a smirk.

Ellie gasped in outrage and gave him a hard punch in his stomach. "Dallas Winston, I'm going to _kill_ you!"

"You said to persuade you!"

Johnny looked from one to the other before throwing his hands up to grip his hair. "That was my ride to school!"

* * *

**Okay, so I just want to start off by reminding you that Dallas is an a-hole and that you should never date someone like him nor should you treat girls the way he treated Sylvia. **

**Also I'm sorry if the editing isn't amazing this time around. My computer has been doing some crazy thing that keeps deleting the parts that I edited. It happened so much that I kind of got pissed and might have left some parts lacking. So, really, really sorry about that.**

**That being said! Did you guys like the chapter? I was going to add a kiss somewhere near the end, but Dallas had just slept with another girl and it sounded gross. Also that twist was pretty twisty, huh? You were all worried Ellie was gonna leave!**

**Also I've been asked if I plan on going into the plot of the Outsiders or if this is a complete AU. The truth is, I will eventually be getting into the events of the book, but not any time soon. However, due to Ellie's presence in the story, there will be some obvious changes. And will Dallas and Johnny die? That would be really really shitty, but... maybe. I can't really give you any spoilers. Sorry!**

**Thank you all for the reviews! I've been receiving a lot lately, which means so much to me! I always love hearing any kind of feedback to let me know where you guys think the story is going or how you felt about certain parts! Don't stop!**

**See you next time!**


	23. I Won't Go Home Without You

23.

"I'm never speaking to him ever again."

Johnny sighed, long and loud enough for Ellie to hear clearly.

She narrowed her eyes at him, pouting. "What does _that_ mean?"

He looked down to the squares of concrete beneath their feet, one after another, forming the sidewalk. A designated path that they were forced to walk down.

Johnny smiled to himself. "Nothing."

Ellie kept glaring, unconvinced. She was upset; he would be too if someone set his car on fire. It wasn't the kind of thing that was easily forgiven. But if she actually thought she wouldn't be back to flirting and teasing with Dallas by the end of the week, she was more naive than he thought.

"I'm serious." Ellie huffed, as if she had read his mind.

"Sure, fine, whatever."

"Johnny!" Frustrated, she pushed him off the sidewalk. He tripped onto the road, black as an abyss under the midnight moon but thankfully empty. They exchanged a look- and then Johnny jumped into action, meaning to tackle her. Ellie let out a peel of laughter as she dodged him and sprinted down the block. He caught her just before she hit the corner, barreling into her and nearly sending thing both to the ground.

She shoved him again, but lighter and with a mouth full of giggles.

"But really." She took a deep breath to calm herself down. "I can't believe he did that."

They started off again, walking side by side. A few more blocks and they'd be at her house. Johnny had walked her home, despite her protests and Dally's offer to give them a ride. It wasn't safe for her to wander the streets alone (though she insisted they were being over-dramatic), and he only lived a block or so away, so it wasn't much of an inconvenience.

Ellie was egged on by his silence. Tilting her head to the blackened sky, a small, distracted smile drifted across her face. "But... you know, in a way, it's kind of... romantic."

Johnny snorted so loud that one of the upstairs windows of a house they were passing lit up. "Romantic? It's physicist. I mean, I've never looked at a girl and thought 'Damn, she's cute. I know! I'll set her car on fire so that she never leaves!'"

"I thought you were _for_ us being together."

"Actually, I've been mildly against it." He crossed his arms over his chest, wishing he brought a jacket or a sweater. The summer was ending quickly and a fall chill was starting to creep up on Tulsa. "Anyway, I'm kind of pissed off that I'll be walking to school again."

Ellie began rubbing her arms, feeling the breeze as well. "If it makes you feel better, I'm probably going to have to drop out of school and get a job to support myself." She smiled humorlessly. "It's actually kind of funny... I've always wanted to quit school 'cause I never thought I'd need it to be a house wife, but now that it's actually going to happen..."

She tapered off, her hands stilling on her arms. Johnny reached over and tucked her under his arm.

"I guess I haven't really thought of doing more than that until now." Ellie admitted.

"You could be, like, a teacher, or a nurse, or a librarian, or... a journalist." Johnny thought for a moment. "You'd make a pretty good historian. You could work at the museum and inspect all the ancient objects and give tours. Els, you don't have to give up school. You can work part time. Tons of people work part time. And maybe you can rent out the spare rooms of your house and have a bunch of roommates to help pay for bills."

Ellie nodded, though she didn't seem so convinced or comforted. Johnny wouldn't be either. It was one thing to say it could be done, but it was another to actually do it.

"Did you ever decide what you're gonna be when you're older, Johnnycake?"

He made a face and shrugged. "Work in the factory, probably."

Ellie made a similar face, but more exasperated. "No, I mean... if you could do anything in the whole wide world, what would you do?"

"Sleep with Jean Shrimpton."

"Oh, gross!" She scowled, pretending to cover her ears. "What is up with you and famous women?"

"Like you don't have a celebrity you wouldn't-"

"Date." Ellie finished with a pointed look. "And you're right. It would be Elvis."

Johnny looked at her doubtfully. "That's lame. Every girl would pick him."

"There's a _reason_." She skidded to a stop and, without warning, snatched his arm and started to squeal. "Johnny!"

"What!" He cried back at her, brows furrowed.

"That girl! Doris, Daphne uh... Dalphine! What happened?"

Johnny felt his face heat up at the thought of the girl. He had been _furious _at Ellie for the whole awkward set up and just plain uncomfortable when he had to lead the girl into the kitchen. Without very many words and no eye-contact, he had brought out both the baking soda and baking powder (because he couldn't remember which one it was) and then stood by the sink as she pulled out a bowl from the dish-rack and poured a few shakes of the soda. He panicked when she approached him, but it was only to get to the sink. He shuffled to the side and took a long gulp of beer. Dalphine had turned the tap, but nothing was coming out, so she turned it a little more, and suddenly water was smacking against the rusty porcelain like bullets, splashing not only all over her already spoiled shirt but also across Johnny's plaid button-up. He let out a surprised swear, she apologized profusely and grabbed the dishrag to try and soak up the front of his shirt. Johnny couldn't help but burst out laughing as she tried to blot the water out of his chest, so embarrassed that it was starting to become funny. She had joined him after a beat, her blush running down her neck and splashing across her chest. Johnny sobered quickly, once more aware of the girl- pretty and soft and curvy- standing centimeters away. He knew it was the right time to put his hands on her waist, or perhaps in her hair, or pressed against her cheek, and then to lean in and kiss her. But his arms wouldn't move no matter how much he willed them to. In the end, it hadn't mattered.

"She kissed me." Johnny admitted sheepishly, grinning like the idiot he was.

Ellie's jaw fell. She started to jump up and down, still latched to his arm and squealing. "Johnny you dog! You filthy, filthy dog!"

They had done a little more than kiss, but that was a story for the boys and not for Ellie's delicate ears.

"Did you get her number?" She asked, calming down enough for them to start walking again.

Johnny's smile fell a little. "Naw, I was too busy watching your car burn through the window."

Ellie's shoulders drooped and she let out a groan. "Dally _is_ crazy, isn't he? You know, I had ten bucks in the glove compartment... and if Buck thinks I'm getting moving the thing off of his lot, then he's got another thing coming."

They passed the lot where the boys would play football on the days they were all free. Those times were far and few in between ever since Darry had to start working full time as a roofer, but sometimes Johnny hung around there anyway, just to pass the time. There was a big tree at the back of the lot, and before Ellie, he'd sleep underneath it if the Curtis' couch was full and he didn't want to go home.

"Yeah." Johnny said, though he could tell by the dreamy look in her eyes that there was very little Dallas could ever do or say that would set her off of him. "You can always take the train back to Chicago, or a bus, or hell, even a plane if you got enough cash."

Coming up to the front gate of her house, Ellie rolled her eyes and snapped open her purse to find her keys. "Well, yeah, but... you know, that's so much _work_."

A spark of hope ignited in Johnny. "Wait, does- does that mean...?"

Ellie glanced up and nodded, a smile tugging at the corners of her lips. Johnny let out a loud, gasping chuckle and pulled her into as tight of a hug as he could manage, ignoring the way the metal clasps of her purse tug into a bruise on his chest.

He pulled away but kept his hands on her shoulders. "If you need any help at all, Els, don't be afraid to ask us, alright? You don't have to do it alone."

"Find me a job, Johnnycake, and I'll be swell."

He ruffled her hair. "I'll keep an eye out."

Ellie shot him a short glare for ruining her hair and then ducked back down to find her keys in her purse. "Where is- ..._huh_."

When her fingers stilled, Johnny took a step and stared down into the dark mess of her purse, trying to find something significant in the mess of receipts and candy wrappers and loose change.

She pinched something in the corner and pulled it out for inspection. It was Dally's class ring, the one he had snagged from some old man he was robbing back in the day. It wasn't anything special, but it had a nice red jewel in it, and the initials 'D.H.W.' next to '_Will Rogers High_' was a lucky coincidence for Dally, and probably the reason why he had bothered to take it in the first place. The only thing that didn't suit him was the '_Class of 1916_' engraved on the other side, or the fact that his middle name was Christopher.

"I'm guessing he snuck it into your purse?" Johnny asked, brow raised but not at all surprised.

Ellie looked as if she couldn't decide whether she should be upset, or turn into a puddle of mush right then and there. "What do you think he mean't by it?"

"Well," Johnny shrugged. "It either means 'Surprise! You're now dating me without your consent!', or I guess it could mean 'I want to date you so I'm gonna give you my class and you can think about it.'"

"Har-har-har, I can't believe I get to be friends with the funniest guy in Tulsa." Ellie answered dryly, tucking the ring back into her purse and pulling out her keys. She pulled the latch on the gate. "You sleeping here tonight?"

Johnny shook his head and began to walk backwards in the direction of his own house. "Naw, I haven't been back home in a few days and the longer I wait, the more mad my folks'll get."

She watched him back away, fiddling with the gate and biting her lip anxiously. "Are you sure?"

He nodded.

"Alright." She wavered on her yard another second. "I'll leave the back door open in case you change your mind."

Johnny nodded again. "Thanks."

Then he turned and started back down the street without looking back. He didn't want to see that fearful look on her face, like she was sending him off to war.

He tried to keep his mind off of it while he walked, concentrating instead on replaying the events of the night- specifically Dalphine.

Dalphine and her soft brown hair that felt like butter between his fingers.

Dalphine and her soft, plush lips the color of roses.

Dalphine and the way her dress clung to all the right places- Johnny gulped and shook his head to rid himself of certain thoughts before he got overly excited. It wasn't as if she was the first girl he had ever kissed, but she was certainly the first girl he had done _a lot of other things_ with.

His racing heart slowed into a slow, heavy pounding at the sight of his dingy, run-down house. Besides the streetlight eliminating the front yard, the house was cast into a sleepy darkness. He let out a breath of relief; it would be a perfect ending to a good night if his parents were asleep.

For the first time in a long time, Johnny stepped through the front door of his house feeling more happy than sad.

* * *

They came looking for him two days later, a few hours after school had ended.

"Why does it seem that all you boys are a little too well versed in sneaking into people's bedrooms?" He heard, and for a second he had thought they were outside his bedroom door. But then his window frame rattled and wood scraped against wood.

"Jesus..." It was Two-Bit, and the first voice had been feminine: Ellie. There was a short swoosh and then a hard thump, and he knew without a doubt Two-Bit had fallen. He wanted to roll over and get a good look at them, but there was a stabbing pain in his chest every time he moved.

"Johnnycake, you alright?" Ellie's voice was suddenly closer, her hand closing over his shoulder.

"Peachy." Johnny muttered, wincing at the scratch in his voice. His throat felt as if he had swallowed a box of nails.

Two-Bit pulled Johnny onto his back and he had to grit his teeth to hold down a scream. Even breathing sent a jolt of stabbing pain coursing through his body, head to toe; he had tried to stay as still as possible.

Being rolled over felt like he had been thrown into the fires of hell.

He peered up at them with one eye, the other refusing to open. Ellie was as white as paper as she cupped the back of his head. She was struggling for words, but the tears slipping from her silvery orbs to pitter-patter against his swollen cheek said enough.

"God, Johnnycake." Two-Bit ran a hand through his hair, standing above them. "Did you even try to fight back?"

"Yeah, you should see the other guy." He explained, trying on a wobbly smile. "...Not a damn scratch on him."

On the positive side, this wasn't the worst he'd ever been beaten. Not nearly as bad as the day his father was fired from his job as a plumber downtown for stealing silverware and groping that a client's wife.

Ellie's lip began to tremble as her crying worsened. "We need to _do_ something. We can't just let them get away with this all the time!"

Johnny made an effort to shrug his shoulder. "You could sneak down and get me some food. That would be great. My dad's down there but he's passed out in front of the t.v. and he won't wake up for a herd of elephants."

Two-Bit was on it in a flash, nearly wrenching his bedroom door off it's hinges. They watched him go with weary eyes.

"Where are you hurt?" Ellie eased his head back onto the mattress and scanned down the length of his body. Her fingers went to the edge of his t-shirt and pulled it up, revealing the bruises and cuts that littered his body like paint splatter. He hadn't taken a very good look at himself lately, but he could tell from the way her jaw tightened, like she was holding back a gasp, that it was pretty bad.

"The old man joined in this time." Johnny admitted, sticking his hands out so she could pull him up into a sitting position. She helped him prop up against the wall and waited patiently while he let the waves of pain subdue. "He was pissed 'cause they cut off the electricity last week, and he was goin' off about how I needed to stop free-loading. He said I can't waste my time in school anymore, so I guess we'll be job hunting together, huh?"

Ellie's frown deepened, though her crying was lulling into a few quiet sniffles. "That's why he beat you?"

Johnny flinched. He really was beaten, wasn't he? He felt like a stray mongrel, half-starved and mostly dead, pitied by passer-bys. He _hated_ pity. He'd rather be laughed at than to have someone look at them with those sad eyes, acting as if he was less than them... _weaker_ than them. But he was the damn runt of the litter and everyone knew it.

"Well, I didn't exactly stand there and listen to him." Johnny explained. He wanted to brush a few stray locks from his face, but he couldn't life his arms high enough. "Do you remember the other night, when you asked me what I wanted to be?"

Ellie nodded, all doe-eyed and watchful. "Sure I do."

"...I wanna finish high school and maybe get a scholarship like Darry, if I'm smart enough. I'd go to some college out of state, or maybe up in Canada or overseas like France." He dropped his head back against the wall and let his eyes drift shut. "Just...far away."

She was quiet for a second, and then he felt her shoulder press against his as she came to sit beside him, her hand placed fondly over his. "You better take me with you, then. I've always wanted to see the Eiffel Tower, and I hear french men are rather suave."

Johnny wasn't sure what suave meant, but he didn't have much time to ask. A moment, later they heard glass shattering downstairs.

"Two-Bit!" Ellie groaned, on her feet before Johnny could stop her. "He might have woken your dad. I'll go check."

"Wait!" He called, struggling off of the mattress as she disappeared through his bedroom door. Clutching his side with one hand, he managed to push up onto his knees before he had to pause and take a few wheezing breaths, jolts of pain running through his chest. There was a broken rib somewhere in there.

There was another smash, and then Ellie was shouting in that high, frightened pitch Johnny recognized as easily as the back of his hand. Refocused, he kicked a leg out and used the wide of the wall to pull himself up, stopping again when the ground beneath him tilted and spun. He reached for the door, holding tight until the dizziness settled. Walking into the hallway was a little easier; his legs were fine, besides a few bruises and a slightly sore ankle, but the sudden exertion was making his head pound and his breathing hurt tenfold. He kept a hand on the wall to keep him steady, and on the stairs he gripped the rail to keep himself from tumbling forward with every step down he took. At the bottom his his ankle gave and he half-fell, half-sat to save himself a knock on the head, and suddenly Ellie was back at his side, her face pale and her hands coming to to his arms to hold him up.

"Y-your dad," She started, shaking so hard he could feel it rattling his own bones. "Two-Bit's got him going-"

Johnny stood again, leeching off of Ellie's thin strength to make it the rest of the way into the living room. The armchair- the one his father had claimed before he was born and was now perfectly molded to the man's husky frame- had been tipped over, it's ring-stained side table counterpart covered in spilled beer. Half hidden in the mess, his father was struggling with Two-Bit, his back pressed against the coffee table and his hands up to protect his face from the younger boy's punches.

"Stop it!" Johnny shouted in a scratchy, underused voice. A pout of hellish pain shot through his chest and he grit teeth, half expecting to see Ellie standing there with a knife embedded in his side.

She shot him a look of pure terror. "I should call the police...?"

Johnny turned back to the scene unfolding before them. His father had managed to kick Two-Bit away from him and was standing up, looming over all of them like a tower of flesh. He had a boxer's body, thick and strong no matter how long he spent on the couch, and for once Johnny wished he had shared that physique. Maybe for once he'd be able to do some damage instead of being stuck on the sidelines, bruised and battered beyond use.

"You gettin' other kids to fight your battles now?" His father growled over at him, puffing out his bare chest and clenching his fist like a bull about to charge. "Gonna have your little whore come at me next? I'll bend her over-"

"Shut up!" Johnny snapped in a sudden rush of anger, glaring at his father through his one unswollen eye. Ellie cowered beside him, a mouse trapped in a lion's den, tense and seconds from bolting. He straightened as much as he could; it didn't come close to matching his father's height, but it gave him a little more courage all the same. "You do whatever you want with me, but you put one fucking hand on her and I'll slit your throat with a butcher knife."

The man took a threatening step froward, a cocky smirk on his face. "Will you now? I'd be surprised if you could even throw a punch."

He was rounding the turned-over armchair and approaching them as Two-Bit dragged himself back up to his feet, swaying and defeated.

"Go on then!" His father boomed, thumping a fist against his chest. "Let's see what you can do, you scrawny little baby! I told your mother, didn't I? A million times, I told her to stop coddling you, and look how you turned out, huh? You're a damn girl! Hell, a girl would-"

Johnny didn't hear the rest. All he could focus on was his father's beefy red face, his mouth moving in rapid succession, spittle spraying from between his yellowing teeth. Johnny hated him. He _hated _him. But most of all, he hated how familiar the face was. Take away the heavy jowls, the wrinkles, the dead hatred in his eyes, and it was _him_. It was Johnny, only thirty years older.

The man reached a massive hand towards his arm, meaning to shove him down, but all Johnny could understand was the frightened cry that slipped from Ellie's lips.

He threw a hastily clenched fist at his father, catching him on the chin and shutting his flapping mouth with an audible snap. It didn't do much besides shock him and send Johnny coiling from the pain in his chest, but it didn't have to. He had done it. He had really done it. Sixteen years of cowering and he had finally stood up to the piece of shit he called a father, and even with a swollen face and a broken rib Johnny had never felt so good in his life.

The man grabbed his son by the collar and shook him like a rag-doll. Wretched away from her friend, Ellie stumbled to the floor with a short whine, her elbows scraping against the rough wood. Johnny struggled to get out of his fathers's grasp, staring at his beefy knuckles as they reared back, level with his face.

"Let go, you overgrown warthog!" Two-Bit shouted from behind them, and before Johnny could react, his friend had clipped the man over the head with a fireplace poker. His father fell immediately after, his fist still in his son's collar, dragging him down. Two-Bit wrenched them apart, helping Johnny back and and slinging an around around his torso to keep him standing. Ellie scrambled from the floor and tucked herself back behind the boys, peaking anxiously from over Johnny's shoulder.

They stared for a long minute, stunned and exhausted, waiting for the first sign of consciousness from the man, but Johnny's father was motionless, his face dipped in the spilled beer and his arm trapped underneath him.

"He looks like a beached whale." Two-Bit commented.

Ellie grasped the back of his shirt, still shivering. "Do you think he's dead?"

Blood was dripping from where the rod had snagged on the cartridge of his ear, but besides that there was no heavy damage.

"He'll live." Johnny assured her. "Let's go before he wakes up."

Two-Bit helped him across the lawn and into the backseat of his car. Then he tossed Ellie the keys and jammed himself in the passenger side. No one said a word as she started the car and headed towards the Curtis'.

"Are you okay?" Two-Bit finally thought to ask her half-way through the ride.

Ellie tore her eyes away from the road to scoff humorlessly at him. "Are _you_ okay?"

Two-Bit's nose was bleeding down his face and leaking into his crisp white shirt while a goose egg formed on his forehead. Even his hands, which he used to clutch his broken nose, had raw open wounds on the knuckles.

"Just tragically sober." He told her, smirking despite everything. "Darry better have some beers or I'll start ballin' like a baby."

Ellie shot a glance at Johnny before turning her focus back on the road. "How are you doing back there, Johnnycake?"

"I'm okay." Johnny mumbled, clutching his chest as he tried to steady his breathing. Two-Bit might have wanted some beers but all he wanted was a handful of painkillers and a few beautiful hours of sleep in Ellie's guestroom.

The Curtis' driveway was occupied by Darry's truck so they parked on the road and trudged across the dry lawn and up the stairs of the porch. Ponyboy was the first to spot them, sitting on the couch with Soda and Steve watching cartoons.

"What happened to you?" He asked, shooting up as Two-Bit helped Johnny the front door.

Soda and Steve turned simultaneously, paling at the sight of them.

"Holy shit." Steve muttered as they got up and let Two-Bit and Johnny take up the couches. "You boys fight a bear or somethin'?"

Soda went into the washroom and came back out with the first-aid kit. He turned to his youngest brother and gestured to the backyard. "Better get Darry."

Ponyboy didn't look as if he wanted to leave the room, but he got up from his seat on the coffee table and went to get his brother anyway.

Soda replaced him in front of Johnny, who was the worst for wear out of the two. "Take off your shirt."

"Gotta buy me dinner first. I'm classy."

Soda cracked a smile and ruffled the boy's hair as gently as he could manage. "You're awfully cheerful for a bloody pulp."

"He should be." Two-Bit brought his ruined shirt collar up and wiped the blood from his mouth. It was only then that Johnny could see he was bleeding from the lip as well. "He punched his dad out."

Johnny peered at him questioningly, wondering why the older boy had bothered to lie. But Two-Bit simply winked and rubbed his tender temple. Watching, Ellie let out a little giggle from her perch on the armrest of Two-Bit's love-seat, shaking her head at them.

Grinning widely, Steve gave Johnny a light, celebratory punch on the shoulder, but backed away when he started to cough.

Soda flicked a band-aid from the kit at his best friend before turning back to Johnny. "Shirt off, buddy. You bleeding anywhere?"

Johnny shook his head and Ellie got up to help him shed his shirt, apologizing every time he let out a hiss of pain. Leaning back against the couch, they inspected the big purple bruise just under his heart.

"What's happened to you?" Darry's voice cut into the silence of the room he and his brother came inside, Dallas trailing behind them with a dirty old football in his hands. "Socs?"

"Johnny showed his pop the old razzle-dazzle." Soda explained, "And somehow Two-Bit and Ellie got involved."

"'Bout time." Dally smirked, tossing the ball to Steve, who flung it out of the living room window and out onto the front porch. "Maybe he'll leave you alone now."

Johnny shook his head, the words coming out of his mouth as quick and smooth as a souped-up Thunderbird in a drag race. "I'm not going back."

The boys were silent, eyeing him, and then each other, and then back to him. He cracked a little smile, feeling nothing but relief. At least they weren't pitying him anymore; if he had his way, they never would again.

Darry spoke first- he always spoke first.

"Johnnycake, running away is," He struggled to find the right words, "...a big decision."

Johnny shook his head once more. It wasn't as if he simply didn't want to go back, but he couldn't. Even thinking of the dilapidated shit-hole he had spent his whole miserable childhood in made him physically sick. Let his father drink himself to death! Let his mother yell until her throat bled and her husband beat her until she lost the rest of her teeth! He didn't care! Not anymore. He had stood up for himself. He was a man now, and even in a room full of big, street-hardened boys double his size, he felt just as huge.

"I'm not going back." He repeated with finality.

Darry nodded and came to sit beside Soda on the coffee table, hunching forward with his elbows on his thighs. "You better have a plan, then. You can sleep on our couch for a few days, but you're gonna want to find a more permanent place to crash."

"You'll come live with me, of course!" Ellie exclaimed, jumping up to join Johnny on the sofa. Besides her red lower lip (from nervous gnawing) and a few scratches on her arm, he was glad to see her mostly uninjured. Beaming, she grabbed his hand and held it between hers. "I need a roommate after all, and we can both get part-time jobs and still go to school! Two part-time jobs equal one full-time job, right? That sounds about right. But where will we work? We should work together too! Oh, you can have the guest room, by the way. And I we'll have to go shopping for your clothes-"

Darry rapped her knee with a knuckle to get her attention. "Calm down, will you? You'll freak the poor guy out."

Ellie let out a sheepish smile, blushing as the boys chuckled at her.

"A girl can be excited, alright?" She huffed gently, releasing Johnny's hand as she got up. "This is the only good thing that came out of this mess and I for one would like to enjoy it. In fact, I think we should celebrate!"

Two-Bit pump a fist in the air excitedly. He spoke in a nasally voice, his other hand still clutching his face to stem the bleeding. "Buck's again!"

"No." Darry inserted quickly.

Ellie rolled her eyes. "I was thinking more along the lines of a nice dinner. I haven't really cooked us anything in a while."

"I'll help!" Soda offered automatically, standing up.

Two-Bit stuck out a leg and kicked him a little in the shins. "Oi! What about my face? Fix me, nurse!"

"You can wait." Soda smirked, dodging a rougher kick. But he waved Ellie off into the kitchen and sat back down, pulling a bottle of painkillers out of the first-aid kit and handing Johnny two.

"You really gonna live with Ellie?" Ponyboy asked once she was far enough into the next room to be in ear-shot.

"Why not?" Johnny shrugged with a smile. "I sleep there half the time anyway. Might as well start paying rent."

Two-Bit let out a gargled snort. "This is gonna be great. Now you two can gossip and paint each other's nails _every_ night!"

Steve flicked his ear and he let out a tirade of colorful swears.

Darry looked back to Johnny. "Just think about it. Especially with juggling school and work." He patted the younger boy's knee before getting up and waving a finger at his youngest brother. "Ponyboy, finish your homework and go help Ellie cook."

Pony rolled his eyes and mouthed a few choice words before wandering into the kitchen, Dallas at his heels. Then Darry disappeared into his bedroom for his usual mid-day nap. Soda spent the rest of the hour fixing the boys up the best he could before running off to help Ellie cook. The rest of Johnny's evening was spent motionless on the Curtis' couch watching Loony-Toons and ignoring Steve and Two-Bit as they argued over who was hotter: Wonder Woman or Invisible Woman.

At seven, Ellie called them into the kitchen for dinner. The boys filled their plates with what Soda and Ellie had proudly announced as _Chicken a la King_ before they all gathered into the living room, the tiny dining room being too small to house them. _Gilligan's Island_ stole their attention for a good half-hour, and then Soda brought out the cards.

"Who's in for a round of poker?" He asked, wiggling his eyebrows. "Els? You feeling lucky?"

Standing, Ellie shook her head and began gathering their plates. "Nah, I think I'll leave the gambling to you boys. I'm going to start cleaning up."

Darry waved for her to sit down. "You already cooked for us, you don't have to clean as well."

"It's fine." She flashed a small smile and went towards the kitchen anyway, her hands full of dishes. "If I don't do it, I'll get the creepy feeling that my mother found out and wants to throttle me for being such a horrible homemaker-in-training."

Standing by his bedroom door, Soda moved quickly to try and block her from going. "Come on, Princess, we'll even let you win a few rounds! Right boys?"

Only half of the boys seemed to have enthusiasm as they agreed with him. Rolling her eyes, Ellie ducked under Soda's arm and vanished around the corner.

Darry gestured at his youngest brother. "Go help her."

Ponyboy gave him an affronted look. "What? No! I cooked too, you know!"

"Go."

Pony opened his mouth to say more, but Soda shook his head in warning. Sulking, he gave a frustrated kick to a side-table on his way out, nearly knocking over their late-mother's antique vase.

"Hey!" He earned from his eldest brother, who looked like he was about to get up and follow him.

"Please, Darry." Soda sighed, dropping down onto the couch beside Steve. He reached up and rubbed his face tiredly. "Ease up on him, will ya'? He's just a kid for Christ's sake."

Half asleep on the love-seat, Johnny slunk further down into the cushioned softness and mumbled, "No more fightin' tonight, alright?"

There was a brief pause where he felt everyone's eyes on him, and then Two-Bit snatched the cards from Soda and started to shuffle the deck in a series of rapid tricks. "Johnnycake gets what he wants tonight, on account of him woopin' his dad's ass. So settle down, you big old bull, and let's play some poker, alright?" He smirked devilishly at them. "I wish Ellie would play, though. Then we could play strip poker. knowing her, she'd be naked in three rounds and we'd all still have our clothes-"

Dallas cut him off with a sharp smack over the head. Two-Bit swore, his nose starting to bleed again.

* * *

The clock chimed nine. Steve slapped his cards face down on the table and got up.

"That's it." He said, raising his burly arms over his head to stretch. "I gotta get home. My shift starts at eight tomorrow and we got that damn-near totaled car to fix up."

Soda peered up from his hand, realization dawning on his face. "_Awe_ crap! I was hopin' to get off early and take Sandy to the drive-in..."

"You ain't ditching me to work on that thing alone, kid." Steve slapped his best friend on the shoulder and started for the kitchen to grab his jacket. A few seconds later he peaked his head out, brows furrowed as he scanned the room. "Hey, where'd Ellie and Ponyboy go?"

Darry was up automatically, wrenching open the door of the bedroom Pony and Soda shared. "Not in here."

Sitting closest to the far wall, Dally peered out into the back yard and shook his head. "They aren't out there."

There was a clamor of noise from the kitchen. Steve twisted around, the muscles in his back tensing and his hands tightening into fists; an automatic response to being snuck up on. In a flash, Darry, Soda, Dally, and Two-Bit were beside him, blocking the entrance. Johnny tried to get up as well, but his chest was still aching and it was better to simply stay still and let the rest of them handle it.

"What's happening?" He asked, attempting to crane his neck over their heads.

"Where have you been?" Darry snapped, ignoring Johnny as Ponyboy wiggled through the crowd of boys to get into the living room. His face was red and moist with sweat, as if he had been running fast and for a long time.

Pony didn't say anything but moved to sit beside Johnny.

Dallas grabbed his arm before he could pass them. "Where's Ellie?"

"We were just throwing the garbage out." Pony moaned, trying to tug his limb out of the JD's grip without much success. "She went back home to feed the dogs. Let go, will you? Jeez!"

Dallas let go and Pony half-fell into the couch, knocking his knee into Johnny's side. He held back a yowl of pain, clutching his bruised ribs.

"Shit, sorry." Pony mumbled quietly, sitting up to grab the pain-killers off the coffee table and passing it to his best friend.

Darry rubbed his forehead. They could tell from the ice in his glare and the way he grit his teeth that he was a few seconds from loosing control. "You don't sneak through the window the throw the garbage out, Ponyboy."

Soda came up and sat on the edge of the couch by Pony, patting his baby brother on the back as he gave his eldest brother an endearing smile. "Does it really matter where he was? He was probably just goofing off with Ellie- I mean, not, like, _goofing off_, but just playing around- I mean-"

Darry glared. "_Ponyboy_."

"Alright!" The youngest snapped back, grossing his arms over his chest. "Ellie asked me to help her get something! We just went down to the store, that's all. Came straight back and everything, and she really is feeding the dogs!"

"Get what?" Darry pressed, crossing his arms over his chest.

Pony rolled his eyes and huffed, his nerves frayed. One would think he'd learn to be more easy going when Darry was being a hard-ass, but Pony was only smart in the classroom. The kid didn't have a lick of sense when it came to self-preservation. Anyway, a few months ago he was listening to his mother and father, and his brother was still just his brother. Johnny knew their deaths had hit Ponyboy hard, and it must have been even harder to adjust to the change in command. It wasn't Darry's fault either; no one in the room would ever tell him that he was being too hard on his brother. Denying himself the opportunity to go to college just to keep his family together was an honorable sacrifice, and one that showed true nature. Darry could be cold and authoritative to the point of cruelty, but he did it out of love and nothing less. Johnny admired him for it.

Ponyboy got up from the couch, ignoring Darry as he made for his bedroom.

"Hey," He growled, following him. "Come back here and answer me!"

"That's my cue to leave." Steve said, patting Soda on the back again before sliding his arms through his leather jacket and checking to make sure his wallet and keys were still inside the pockets.

Two-Bit got up as well "I better head home too. Penny's been nagging me about getting home so late on school nights." He turned to Dallas. "You need a ride home?"

Popping a cigarette between his lips, Dally shook his head and grinned. "I'm gonna stick around and help Johnnycake home, or else we'll wake up tomorrow morning and find him with his face in the dogs' water bowl."

"I can handle myself." Johnny insisted, though he wasn't positive that he could stand up on his own anymore. All those painkillers were making him lightheaded.

"Let him help you." Soda said, ruffling his hair gently. "He's just looking' for an excuse to say goodnight to Ellie."

"Shut up." Dallas got up and lit his cigarette before crossing the room. Bending down, he passed the smoke to his injured friend and let him take a heavy drag before grabbing his arm and slinging it over his shoulder to help him up. Johnny winced and let out a short whine, but he did manage to stand without swaying, leaning most of his weight on Dally.

Two-Bit and Steve followed them down the front steps, keeping close in case they needed help. Johnny wished they'd just give him some space; it was starting to get embarrassing, the way they acted as if he was that broken-winged crow Pony and Soda had found last summer, run-over and half-dead. They had spent a month nursing the thing back to health before it nearly pecked Mrs. Curtis' finger off and they let it back out into the wild. Johnny would have rather tumbled down the stairs then be doted on so fiercely...unless it was from Mrs. Curtis. He would have taken an even harder beating if it meant seeing that smiling face one more time.

"You alright, kiddo?"

Johnny must have grown quiet and sullen as he relived the old memory because when he turned to nod, Dallas had a rare look of concern that furrowed his brows and deepened his frown.

"Just sore. I'll be fine in a day or so." Johnny said reassuringly, "Thanks for helping me out, Dal."

Dally took his cigarette back before dragging them both up Ellie's porch steps. Johnny didn't say anything, but the little white stick was sorely missed. He had lost his packet to his father a few nights ago and hadn't had a proper smoke in days.

"Don't thank me, dumb-ass." Dally said once they were on flat ground again. He gave Johnny a gentle shake. "I'm fucking proud of you, you know? I've been wanting to beat that son-of-a-bitch to death for years."

Johnny put on a genuine smile. "Me too."

Lord greeted them at the door. He let his tongue loll out and graze Johnny's hand, then followed them down the hall. For what seemed like the first time, he took his time to examine the house and each of it's passing rooms. He noticed the light mildew stain on the ceiling of the kitchen; the way the new furniture clashed oddly with the old paint and style of the house; the weird smell of vanilla that followed him through every doorway. It was all his now, he supposed.

"Hey, Dal?" He swallowed loudly, "You aren't... you aren't mad that I'm gonna live here, right? I mean, you ain't pissed that I'm gonna be living with your girl?"

Dallas shook his head and cast him a smirk, his cigarette still burning even inside the house. "Naw. You and Ellie are two peas in a pod, and I know that. Anyway, she needs a roommate and I'd rather have you around then some twenty-something-year-old with wandering eyes."

"You two are a thing now?" Johnny asked out of curiosity, letting go of Dally to try and make it up the staircase. Clinging onto him for support would have only made things more difficult, and the banister did the job just fine. "I mean, officially?"

Dallas shook his head. "We haven't talked since Buck's. She's still pissed at me for setting her car on fire-"

"_I'm_ still pissed at you."

"Yeah, yeah, I'm already being punished for it, if that makes you feel any better." Dallas scowled. "Anyway, I figured I'd give her some time."

Johnny nodded, but didn't say anything more until they were at the top of the landing. Ellie's bedroom light was on, but the steady sound of water from the shower was hissing from the bathroom.

Johnny slung his arm back around Dally's shoulders and let him lead them to the guest bedroom- Johnny's bedroom. It was a fairly large room, larger than Ellie's, with a nice soft bed coated in green linens in the middle, flanked by side tables while a wardrobe leaned against the other wall.

Dallas lead him to the bed and deposited him face down into the mattress. "You think you'll be okay from here? 'Cause I ain't gonna strip you naked and change you into PJs. You'll have to ask Ellie to do that."

Johnny sat up and grabbed a pillow to chuck at the JD. "I would but you'd only get jealous."

Dallas looked as if he was about to give Johnny a playful punch but caught himself just in time. Instead he settled for a slap on his shoulder. "Jealous of a little runt like you? Please!"

"Your're back already?" Ellie interrupted from the doorway. She was freshly washed, clad in a baby blue nightgown, her tendrils of dark, wet hair around her shoulders. Johnny hadn't thought she could look any more innocent and clean, but he had been wrong.

"Ponyboy got into trouble with Darry." Dallas explained, eyeing her blatantly and making her squirm. "We got out of there before they really started at it."

Ellie's face fell. "Oh... he got caught coming in, didn't he? I guess that's my fault... do you think I should go over there?"

"No way." They two boys chorused, shaking their heads vigorously.

Johnny leaned himself up against the headboard for support. "What'd you go get with Pony, anyway?"

"Right!" Ellie smiled widely, a blush tinting her cheeks as she walked further into the bedroom and closed the door. The action revealed the back of the door, and in turn the the poster that she and Ponyboy must have gone through all that trouble to get.

"Jeez!" Dallas chuckled, stepping forward so he could get a better look. It as made up of black and white ink, but it did nothing to deter the stunning beauty of Brigitte Bardot as she perched upon a big, shiny Harley, her legs casually spread and her eyes shifting to the side of the camera.

Ellie shuffled on her bare-feet nervously, avoiding her eyes so that she didn't have to look at the gift herself. "I wanted to get something for your room to make you feel more at home. This is what Ponyboy says any boy would want."

Johnny let out a long laugh and opened his arms. Giggling, Ellie shot eagerly into his embrace, leaning her head against his shoulder and keeping a careful pressure around his torso as they embraced.

"Thank you." Johnny mumbled, feeling as if he had said those words far too often that day. Ellie responded with a smile.

Dallas came to sit down beside him, lighting a new cigarette as he examined the poster. "You know, I've always wanted to sleep with her."

Making a noise that resembled both a snort a gag, Ellie smacked the back of her hand against Dally's forearm and snatched the cigarette from his lips, passing it to Johnny. "No smoking in my house."

Dallas made a face. "You're letting Johnny smoke right now."

"He's paying rent."

* * *

**Hi! Once again, sorry for the long wait. I'm a very busy lady, after all! But I promise you I've been trying to pump these chapters out as quickly as possible.**

**Now, I know that a lot of you might feel as if I've made Johnny a little more upbeat than he was in the books, but I just want to remind ya'll that these chapters are set BEFORE he gets jumped by the Socs, and from the impression I got, Johnny wasn't always so jumpy and nervous and painfully quiet, and I doubt he'd be that way when he's around his closest friends. So I hope you guys can kind of see it in my perspective and try not to get too weirded out when I have Johnny act the way I have him act.**

**Also, who's excited for some Johnny and Ellie roommate shenanigans?! I know I am!**

**Oh, and I was asked if I was going to do a 'mature' chapter in this story (Aka: will I write a sex scene). Maybe they'll never EVER have sex at all! Maybe they will after a long, painful dryspell for Dally! Maybe they'll get at it in the next chapter! Who knows? (I do.) What I'd actually like to know from you guys is if you actually want a full blown 'mature' scene? Though keep in mind, either way it's going to be as tasteful as possible. If there is one, that is. Let me know!**

**Oh, PS: Because of my editing being deleted for some reason last chapter, I did have to go back and add a few parts after it was posted. Particularly the scene right before Dallas and Sylvia "hook up", and Dallas is watching Tim flirt with Ellie. If you didn't see it before, I think it's worth going back and taking a quick look! It's only a few sentences but it kind of explains why Tim was even speaking to Ellie and being so nice to her.**

**_Thank you everyone for reviewing! Your opinions mean the world to me, and I always love hearing about your feelings towards certain scenes or characters, or your predictions of how you feel the story will pan out!_**

**_See you next chapter! Love you and hope you all have a stellar Valentines and keep in mind that even if you don't have a significant other, you still have your friends and family and a butt-load of romantic fanfiction!_**


	24. Everlasting Light

24.

Ellie stared at her eyebrows through the bathroom mirror, her nose touching the glass as she examined it closely. The left one was longer than the right, she decided, rearing back to pop open the medicine cabinet and grab a pair of tweasers. Shutting it again, Ellie poised the tip of the mechanism to the inner corner of her brow before she noticed a spot of red at the edge of the mirror. Sighing, she pulled her arm further up to inspect the rough scrape on her elbow. The jagged red lines reached up a few inches on her forearm, contrasting with the black slivers embedded in her skin. Without looking she knew her other appendage fared the same, but Ellie wasn't about to complain. Not after the events that had happened yesterday. She had been so _afraid_. A little of the fear had been for Johnny and Two-Bit, yes, but more of it had been for her own safety. The moment that big burly man had set his eyes on her, all she could think about was bolting, even if it meant leaving her friends behind.

And then Johnny had protected her. Johnny- the scrawny kid that everyone treated like a lost puppy. He had stood up to his father, a man that had abused him his whole life, to keep her safe.

Ellie took the tweasers in her other hand and pressed it against one particularly big sliver, holding back a hiss as she made an attempt to dig it out. Eyes watering, she managed to snag a few before she gave up, resigning to wear longer sleeves instead.

The phone rang from downstairs, startling her.

"Johnny, answer that, will you?" She called through the door, rummaging through the counter's drawers for some lotion. When he didn't answer she let out another long suffering sigh and stepped into the hallway, clad in nothing but a towel. She thought about getting dressed first, but the phone had already rang threes and if she didn't hurry then she'd miss it.

"Johnny! Phone!" She called again, pausing for a brief second before she raced down the stairs. Hand clutching her towel and avoiding the open window, Ellie snagged the phone off it's base. "Hello?"

"Hey."

Ellie narrowed her eyes, sorting through her mind to find a face to match the familiar voice. "May I ask who's speaking?"

"What?" The voice took a tone of teasing, "I didn't think a few months in Tulsa would make you forget you had a brother."

"Danny!" Ellie gasped, nearly dropping the phone. She grabbed the telephone base and dragged it as far as it could go, sitting down on one of the breakfast table's chairs. "Are you alright? Aren't you supposed to be in jail or something? Where's dad? Where's mom? No one's spoken to me since-"

Her brother cut her off before she could get her long-winded speech going. "Now isn't the time, Ellie. I just called to to let you know that I'll be down there in a few weeks, alright? Can you put grandmother on the phone?"

"I-I... She..." Ellie stuttered, staring down at the coiled cord she had wrapped around her finger. She wanted to tell him the truth, but the words wouldn't come. "She's... in the shower right now."

"Alright..." Danny sounded skeptical. "She doesn't have to call me back or anything. It isn't important. I'll talk to her when I get there."

Ellie nodded, her heart in her throat. "Okay... Um, Danny? I kind of-"

"I can't talk too long, kid." Her brother cut her off again, sounding as if he was already moving away from the phone. "I'll see you soon, alright? Remember to tell grandmother."

"O-okay. See you, Danny... love you." She added as the dial tone began to ring in her ears. Pressing the receiver against her chest, Ellie let her unfocused gaze slide across the brightly lit kitchen. She wondered what she would do once Danny was here; it wasn't like she could keep up the lie that grandmother was still with her. And how was she going to explain Johnny? Danny and Ellie had never been close, but as a dutiful big brother he would have to be uncomfortable with her living with a boy. If worst came to worst, he'd take her back to Chicago or to her mother.

Standing on legs that felt suddenly made of led, she stuck the phone back on the table by the corner of the room and went back up stairs.

Ellie rapped on Johnny's door. "You awake?"

There was no reply. She turned the knob and let herself in. Johnny was lying in his new double-sized bed with his back turned, his chest rising and falling slowly. She approached and perched on the edge of the bed, twisting over him to get a better look at his face. The swelling over his eye had gone down, but the bruises were turning darker.

"You goin' to school?" He muttered in a scratchy tone, just coming out of sleep.

Ellie brushed a few strands of chocolate hair out of his face. "Yup. I'm going to assume you're not in good shape to go yet?"

"Maybe I should just forget it." Johnny turned to lie on his back, covering his face with his arm to keep the morning sunlight at bay. "I 'ought to start focusing on getting a job."

"That's a load of... you-know-what, Johnny. You're going to get better, and then you're going to school, and then you're going to find a part-time job, just like me." Ellie grabbed the edge of his blanket and pulled it up to his chin like her mother used to do to for her during bedtime. "It might be easier to be a drop-out, but no job at the factory is gonna pay for a ticket out of here, alright?"

"Alright, alright." Johnny grabbed the blanket and tugged it fully over his head. "Just go get dressed, will you? I don't want to see none of that crap."

Ellie rolled her eyes and tightened the towel as she got up. She made sure to fill up the cup on his bedside table with cold water from the bathroom before she went to go get dressed.

* * *

Ellie wandered down her porch steps, checking her school bag for all the essentials. "What're you doing here? I didn't think you could even wake up this early."

Dallas looked up from his seat in the grass, his bare arm in Lady's mouth as she chewed. There was slobber dripping down from her maw and his skin was red and full of scratches but he didn't seem to care.

Ellie had to crack a smile at them. "I would have never pegged you for an animal-lover, Dally."

Dallas detached himself from Lady, rubbing his wet arm against his t-shirt and dusting his grass-stained jeans off before flashing Ellie his usual smirk. "Yeah, well, animals don't yap all day like you do."

"Please," Ellie snorted, slinging the strap of her bag over her shoulder and she walked passed him to the gate. "Let's not pretend you don't love me just as much."

"Love?" Stepping in line with her, Dallas' brought a hand to her hip and tugged her a little closer. "Darlin', I think this relationship is moving a little too fast for me."

Ellie stumbled over her own feet and would have face-planted into the ground if he hadn't held her up. Straightening, she shot a glare at his stupid, smirking face and wondered how someone could make her feel both annoyed and ecstatic , all at the same time.

"What relationship?" She shot back, twisted away from him with her own little grin. Meaning to walk away and leave him to the dogs, she instead stopped short at the gate, eyeing Buck's convertible a few feet away. Before she could say anything more, Dallas was hopping the fence and opening the passenger door for her, gesturing for her to get inside.

Ellie tapped her kitten heel against the walkway, hesitating. "I don't know, Dallas."

"Don't know what?" Dallas asked, rolling his eyes. He reached into his jeans and pulled out his carton of cigarettes and Ellie had to stop herself from snatching them away. The boy went through smokes as if he was planning to quit tomorrow.

"I don't know if I'm still mad at you."

Dallas gestured again to the open vehicle, more irritated than humored. "Just get in, would you? You'll make me late for work."

Ellie crossed her arms and '_hmph_'-ed.

"Fine then!" He slammed the passenger door shut. "You can walk to school, then."

"Fine!" Ellie snapped back, his attitude stinging her enough to hurt. Hiking her bag further up her shoulder, she walked through the gate and started down the sidewalk without so much as a glance back. He let out a curse from behind her, and a few seconds later she was being swept off of her feet and carried back to the car.

"Dallas!" She screeched, struggling to keep her dress flat against the back of her thighs. He winced at the tone of her voice in his ear, but it didn't stop him from dumping her haphazardly into the passenger seat. He took a good look at her exposed legs before rounding the car and sliding in next to her.

Ellie adjusted her dress back to a respectable length as he started the car. Her face was red and her chest filled with an anger she knew would dissipate the moment he smiled at her again.

"I want you to know this was totally against my will." She stated.

Dallas shot her a look. "I haven't even shifted the gear out of park yet. You can get out if you really want to."

"...I've resigned to my fate."

Chuckling, he lit his cigarette and pulled onto the road. Ellie relaxed into the seat, taking a deep breath to calm her nerves as she enjoyed the light brush of late-summer air against her arms.

"Where are you working?" She asked, shutting her eyes and dipping her head back against the seat. "Do you have a race today?"

Dallas tapped his cigarette ashes out the side of the convertible. "No races until next month, but I gotta do some practicing and Slash-J's been hounding me to help around the ranch. I figured I might as well stop by and get some extra cash."

"Or you could come to school with me." Ellie offered, tilting her head towards him. She cracked an eye and smiled.

"Yeah? Is a high school degree gonna pay my bills?"

Ellie didn't push the subject further. She'd be over-joyed if Dallas decided to go back and finish school, but she wasn't about to get her hopes up. Some people just weren't cut out for it- not that he was stupid, but he just didn't have ambition.

She reached into the pocket of her dress, fingering the cool metal of his ring. Ellie knew she was young, but all her life she had only ever looked at the opposite sex as potential husbands; Men that she could spend her life with, that could support her...that could give her more than just a ride to school.

Dally's fingers brushed against her knee and skimmed their way up her thigh.

Ellie startled. "Dallas!"

"_Mmm_..," He smirked and wiggled his eyebrows suggestively as she pried him from her untouched skin. "Really gets me goin', the way you scream my name."

"Dal-!" She stopped herself in time, scarlet exploding on her cheeks and the tips of her ears. "You're so gross."

Ellie spent the rest of the ride batting away his wandering hands, occasionally shouting his name when she forgot herself, or bursting into giggles when his feather light touches began to tickle. When he parked at the back of the parking lot she was red from head-to-toe and looking thoroughly disgruntled from both the wind and Dally's teasing.

* * *

Ellie wandered into her History class and sighed at the sight she was met with.

"Are you even close to graduating?" She asked Two-Bit as she came to sit beside him. His face was still busted up badly, but nothing was bleeding any longer, and no one seemed to care much about his well-being. Ellie had a feeling that he was often showing up to school looking worse for wear.

He shook his head and waved towards the front. Their teacher, a beer-bellied man in a sweater vest, was giving him an angry, frustrated glower. Ellie tilted away from Two-Bit and the teacher's line of vision. It wouldn't do any good to be associated with Keith Matthews' antics before the teacher even began the first lesson of the year.

"This is the third year I've taken this class." Two-Bit leaned in close to mumble secretively in her ear. "It'll only be a few more months before he cracks and just starts passing me."

Ellie smiled as she took out her textbook and dropped it onto her desk before taking her school bag and stuffing it in the metal compartment underneath her chair. The desk she satin was old and rusty and she had felt a few wads of old gum brush against her knee when she had crossed her legs. But it wasn't as if any of her neighbor's tables were better.

She was going to ask why she hadn't seen him in this particular class before, but then realized he must have been skipping the first couple of days. It wasn't surprising, though she did have to suppress her urge to chastise him for it.

"Haven't you ever wanted to excel in school?" She asked instead, watching him reach for her pencil case. "I mean, you're obviously not an idiot. I'm sure if you just showed up more, you'd be able to pass without having to wait until a teacher just gives up on you."

Two-Bit shrugged and dug around for his favorite of her pencils: a half-finished number two that he swore he never needed to sharpen. "You sound like my sister."

"Your sister is a smart girl, so I'll take that as a complement." Ellie retorted.

"It's all about expectations." He finally admitted, pulling out the pencil with a quiet 'aha!'. "If I start attending classes and getting good grades, then they'll start expecting it from me, ya' know? Then they'll be let down when I get sick of being good at shit. So really I'm just doing everyone a favor."

The school bell rang, signalling the beginning of the period. Their teacher waved his hand to bring down the volume of chatter in the classroom. His name, Mr. Compton, was written across the top of the chalk board.

Ellie flipped open her notebook and took the pencil case back, whispering, "Sounds like one big excuse."

"You got me." Two-Bit cracked a grin and leaned back in his seat, settling in for what he considered an hour and a half of psychologically damaging boredom.

They were beginning the semester with World War II; more specifically, the Pacific front. Mr. Compton instructed them to crack their textbooks open to page fifty. The top corner of the left page read 'The Atomic Bomb' in big, bold letters. Underneath it was a dozen or so paragraphs with their own subtitles, describing the creation of the bombs as well as how they had been used in Hiroshima and Nagasaki. At the end they had a photograph of the two bombs they had used. The second page had more paragraphs, as well as a photo of a giant mushroom cloud, taken a few moments after the atomic bomb had hit it's target.

Ellie frowned down at her textbook, running a finger over the edge of the last picture. Her parents had raised her to be a good patriotic girl, and she was sure the army had a perfectly good reason behind their actions. But she couldn't help but feel heartbroken for all the people that had died, and even more for those who had survived only to find their homes and families gone.

Mr. Compton had them take turns reading paragraphs, going down the rows of students from front to back. The teacher didn't even bat a lash when it was Two-Bit's turn, skipping over him and asking Ellie to begin the next sentence out loud. She was sure the older kid would have made a stink about it if he hadn't been taking a nap.

When the bell rang, Ellie had to shake him awake. He started, banging his foot against one of the desk legs and grabbing the edge to keep himself from falling out of his chair.

"Lincoln!" He cried mindlessly, his gaze darting around the emptying room. Mr. Compton shot him a dirty look before turning his back to wipe down the board.

Ellie swiped her unused pencil from the table top and stuffed it into her school bag. "You have drool on the corner of your mouth."

Two-Bit rubbed his arm over his face- careful of his nose and broken lip- before pulling his lanky body out of the seat. He grabbed her books and waited for her to get up as well. "You'll let me copy your notes, won't you?"

"Why?" She asked as they headed down the isle and past the front to get through the door. "You won't use them anyway."

"Yeah, I guess you're right!" He let out a loud, donkey-like laugh that he only ever used to annoy those around him. Then he tilted his head down closer to her and said, "Hey, isn't that the girl you hang out with sometimes? That real foxy one that makes Pony blush whenever she's around."

She knew exactly who he was referring to. Alice was standing with a few cheerleaders down the hall, dressed in a cute, new, orange dress that made Ellie envious. They were speaking boisterously about the first pep-rally of the year when the two of them passed by. Ellie didn't bother trying to catch Alice's gaze. The girl had been blowing her off and ignoring her calls ever since Ben had broken up with her. Ellie wasn't the least bit surprised.

Nor was she surprised when she found the words 'Greasy Slut' painted in lipstick on the face of her locker during the first day of school. She had tried to wash it off, but the bell had rang and she had to leave it on there like an oily red mess, illegible but still painful to see every time she had to put her books away.

Two-Bit saw it and clucked his tongue. "Socs are weird, ya' know? They're always doin' cruel, meaningless things just for the hell of it. I bet the girl who did that didn't even know you. I bet she was just some girlfriend of a friend of Ben's, trying to impress the popular kids by writing a few bitchy letters on a locker."

Ellie examined the smudge before flicking the handle open and hiding her face behind the locker. "How do you know they were bitchy words?"

"You think you're the first kid to ever hassled like this?" Two-Bit pulled the door open wider so that he could shove her books on the top shelf. "When Darry was still going here, there was this real nice Soc girl he was always flirting with. They almost got together except some broad wrote the same kind of shit on her locker. The girl got cold feet after that. Darry was a good football player, and he had a lot of Soc friends, but that don't mean he was one of them. If you live on the east-side, then you live on the east-side. And they'll end up hating you no matter what. It's in their blood, or something."

Ellie nodded, mulling over his words as she took out her new set of biology textbook. She slammed her locker and followed him down the hallway.

"You going to class, or you wanna come to the back lot and hang out with me for a while?" Two-Bit inquired at the end of the hall, where they were destined to part ways. He was only asking out of habit; Ellie had never took him up on his offer to skip a period. He was a little shocked and unprepared when she nodded and moved to follow him through the exit.

Ellie sat on the hood of his car, shaded by the building's shadow. Two-Bit scrounged around in his back seat before he managed to produce two luke-warm beers.

"You want one?" He asked her, waving it around without much regard for onlookers. No one of importance hung out at the back parking lot anyway; only a few fellow greasers, most of them also skipping their classes.

She shrugged and held out a hand to except the drink.

Two-Bit paused, narrowing his eyes at her. "What's up with you, huh? The Ellie I know would be nagging me about drinking in the morning."

"Well, this Ellie is thirsty." She shot back. "And you _shouldn'_t be drinking in the morning, but if that's all you have, then I'll take it. Anyway, I was only going to take a few sips."

He didn't look so convinced. Throwing the second beer onto the seat, he slammed the door and went to sit beside her. He thought or a moment, staring at her and frowning, before speaking again. "Els, you know what my favorite thing about you is?"

"My overwhelming beauty?"

He cracked a grin. "Of course. But besides that, my favorite thing about you is that you're never sad for long."

"...I'm not sad." Ellie told him hesitantly as he popped the cap of his drink and took a long drink. "I'm just... sick of having to deal with everything."

Two-Bit passed her the beer and she took a sip before handing it back for him to finish.

"When I lived in Chicago, I didn't have a care in the world. All I had to deal with was my annoying brother, or if my father was too busy to pay attention to me, or if my mother was mad at me... I was raised in an oblivious little bubble my whole life." Letting out a breath, she laid back and stared up at the cloudless sky. "I'd give nearly anything to live in that bubble again. I think I was happier in that bubble."

Two-Bit laid down next to her, nudging his arm under her neck for her to rest her head on. Ellie tilted her head and smiled at him, burrowing a little closer to his side.

"You're right, Two-Bit." She told him.

"You'll have to be a little more specific, Princess, because I'm always right."

She nudged his side with her elbow. "I mean about the Socs. I don't think they were ever going to like me. It's real stupid, too, because if I had just moved into a different house on the other side of town, I'd still be dating Ben right now. I probably wouldn't even know your name."

"But you didn't." Two-Bit told her with a smile. "And now your brother is in jail, your parents are M.I.A, you've got no money coming in, you've got a beat-up boy sleeping in your guest bedroom, and a juvenile delinquent as a boyfriend. I think fate was on your side with that one, kiddo."

"Oh gosh! Don't even get me started on Dallas." Ellie groaned, covering her face with her hands. "He's not my boyfriend."

"Yet." Two-Bit added with a chortle. He broke away from her to light a cigarette and finish off his beer.

Ellie stayed with her back against the warm metal hood, ignoring the tug in her chest at the very mention of Dally's name. She tried to imagine what being in a relationship with him would be like, but nothing distinct came to mind.

"My brother called this morning." Ellie supplied, wanting to move away from the subject of her love-life.

"Well shit! That's great!" Two-Bit cried, and they exchanged bright smiles. "See? Things are already looking up!" He grabbed her shoulder and gave her a rough shake. "No one can hold Elizabeth Carter down!"

She pulled away from his attack, giggling and trying but failing to shoot him a glare.

"So what does it mean?" Two-Bit asked as he ruffled her hair and went back to his beer.

"I don't know." Ellie shrugged, "He said he'd be coming down here in a few weeks, though. I think he'd rather tell me everything in person. I 'ought to have told him to bring some money with him, because I'm running dangerously low."

"How much you got left?"

"Enough to keep Johnny and I going for a few more months." Ellie took the beer from his hands and had another sip to wash down the taste of her lie. She spent a whole night trying to figure out how far she could stretch the few dollars stashed under her grandmother's mattress, and there was no way in heck she could pay even this month's bills. "But that's not the hardest part. I forged my mother's signature on all those school forms they asked us to bring home the other day, but what about Social Services? Do you think they'll come down here anyway? Do you think they know I haven't been living with a guardian? Do you think they'll send me to a girl's house or something? What if I get adopted-"

"Els." Two-Bit cut her off by capping his hand over her mouth. "Do you have an 'off' button?"

She pried his fingers away and pouted. "These are valid worries, Two-Bit! Oh my gosh, what if they find out and arrest me for faking my mother's signature? I hadn't thought about that!"

Two-Bit snatched the bottle away from her. "Alright, alright, Missy. No more morning drinking for you."

* * *

Angel looked at home in the shabby booth inside the Dingo, her legs crossed and her long manicured fingers pinching the straw as she sipped her coke.

"You skipped science today." She said with a smirk, winking at Ellie from across the table. "Found something- or someone to better occupy your time, I see."

Ellie rolled her eyes. "Yeah, Two-Bit. We spend the period on the hood of his car."

"Oh. That wasn't as juicy as I thought it was going to be." Angel's smile fell, but in half a heartbeat it was back again. She leaned forward on her elbows, locking her cat-like eyes with Ellie's. "Unless you're sleeping with-"

Ellie reared away, wincing. She loved Angel, but sometimes it was like speaking to a journalist for a gossip magazine. The girl ate it up as if she had never tasted anything sweeter than a secret. Though she had to give her some credit for not telling Sylvia about... well, whatever Ellie and Dallas had been doing.

"No way... especially not Two-Bit" Ellie answered, a frown fluttering across her face. "What about you?"

"Oh no, darling, you are not getting out of this topic that easily." Angel paused to take another sip of her coke. "But I will let you go for a few minutes, only because there's only one thing better than talking about someone else, and that's talking about _me_."

Ellie waved to her friend's cropped hair. It was looking better now, freshly washed and paired with a cute blue headband. "How's the do?"

"Tim and Curly have been giving me shit about it." Angel ran a few nails through her fringe, brushing the soft hair more to the side. She let out a sleazy smile. "They said I'd never get a boyfriend looking like a boy, but they don't know that I got asked out to the movies three times just this week!"

Penny walked up their table in her waitress uniform, carrying a pad for orders and snorting at Angel's words as she heard them. "That's funny, Angel, because yesterday you told me the exact same thing except there were _five_ boys asking you out instead of three."

"Then you must be confused, Penelope." Angel snapped with a deadly scowl. "Maybe you 'ought to clean the kitchen grease out of your ears once in a while."

"And maybe you 'ought to get your big fat head out of the clouds, Angela." Penny shot back as she sat down beside Ellie, having stolen Angel's trademark smirk straight from her face.

Ellie dipped her gaze down to inspect the coffee sitting in front of her. Truth be told, she had never fully enjoyed the bitter taste of the drink, but it wasn't so bad with lots of sugar and milk. She liked the way it made her a little more happy as well, and she even liked the weird heart-pounding, jittery-finger feeling she got when she drank too much. But this particular cup had a smudge of residue on the rim by the handle, and she hadn't brought herself to any more of the warm caramel drink after it's discovery.

"Will you cut my hair?"

Both Angel and Penny turned to look at her. They had been arguing fervently. Over boys, or hairdos, or whatever else, Ellie had no idea. But the sound was beginning to assault her ears and attract their neighbor's attention.

Ellie reached towards her chest and fiddled with the ends of her long hair, flipping them up to examine the splits running down the strands. "No too short- not like yours. But just to my shoulders."

Penny poked her notebook in Angel's direction, astonished. "You want her to touch your hair?"

"Shut up!" Angel waved her hand in Penny's face as if that would get rid of her. "I'd love to, Ellie."

"Just a trim..." Ellie reminded her as they hustled out of the booth. She was already regretting her request, but her hair was growing into unruly lengths and there wasn't any spare room in her budget for professional hair-cuts.

"This I have to see." Penny followed them out into the sunny parking lot.

Ellie glanced back at her, and then to the diner they had just left. "Um, don't you have work?"

"Just got off." Penny explained. "Skipped half of the day of school to take this pregnant girl's shift while she went to her doctor's appointment."

They followed Angel to Tim's truck, which she seemed to have stolen for the day. Piling into the cab and rolling down the windows to let the sweltering heat escape, they pulled out of the Dingo's parking lot with Elvis' smooth voice filling the thin spaces between them.

"I heard about Johnny." Penny mentioned conversationally, her gaze drifting to the side window. Tiny little shops slid past in a blur.

Ellie tugged her school bag's strap to shift it more securely in her lap. "Yeah, that wasn't a good day."

"At least he got out." Angel reached down between Ellie's leg to shift gears down a slight hill. "I'd give anything to manage a few hits on my own pops. I mean, Tim and Curly usually do it for me, but it doesn't have the same satisfaction, ya' know?"

Ellie nibbled on her lip, her thoughts drifting to the boy in her house. She wondered if she should have gone straight home instead of going out with Angel, in case he needed her to help him around the house or something. But she knew the boys would have swung by in intervals during the day. Darry during the morning, Dally, Soda and Steve during the day, and Pony and Two-Bit after school. He would be fine- maybe even a little relieved to have some time without her.

Penny cranked the knob on the door to wind the window up enough so that it didn't disturb her hair so much. "Remember the time Sylvia got in a fight with her step-father? There was no amount of makeup in the world to cover that black-eye she got."

"Which one?" Angel asked, turning the corner and driving into a more suburban area.

"Wait-" Ellie cut in, eyebrows furrowed. She recalled a bulky, gross man that Sylvia's empty-headed mother was married to. "How many has she had?"

Angel pursed her lips in thought. "A few? Maybe five or six that I can remember."

"There was the taxidermist, the three-fingered one, the beater," Penny listed them off, bending down a digit of her left hand with every man she named. "The one with the doll obsession, the molester, the policeman, and then there's the bible-thumper..."

Angels lips thinned into a somber line. "If there's anything worse than having one piece-of-shit father, it's having _many_ piece-of-shit fathers."

The Shepard house was like every other house on the east-side; an old run-down thing with peeling paint and a lawn that looked the tall grass in a savanna. The inside had the same theme, though it was more furnished than Ellie had expected. In fact, it was almost too furnished. Journeying from the front door to the kitchen, they had to maneuver around three mismatched couches, and five side-tables. This coupled with a hoard of junk ranging from clothing, to old beer bottles to broken objects that hadn't looked as if they had been touched in years.

"Your brother home?" Penny asked as she ran a finger along the grimy kitchen counter. There was a weird, moldy smell to the room that was only just bearable.

Angel popped through a doorway into the dining room, visible through the pass-through window as she approached the small dining room table. She snagged the back of a chair and let it scratch against the hardwood as she brought it over.

"Sit." She gestured to Ellie, letting the chair sit in the middle of the room and going over to rummage through a series of drawers. "Curly might be in his room, but I think Tim's out."

Ellie dropped herself down on the seat, reaching up to pull her hair out of it's ponytail. Penny drifted quietly out of the room.

"She has a thing for Tim." Angel snorted, coming up to her with a pair of scissors and a wide-bristled comb in her hands. They didn't look sharp enough to cut hair, but Ellie couldn't find the voice to protest. "When we were little girls she used to write him love letters and fill her notebooks with wedding plans. She swears she's over him now, but it's a load of shit. How short do you want it?"

Ellie hummed for a moment, and then ran a hand across her chest, a few inches above her breast. "Just there."

Angel shrugged and nodded. Standing directly behind Ellie, she took a large chunk of hair and ran her fingers down it's length, stopping just past her neck. A few seconds later Ellie heard the 'shirk shirk shirk' of the scissor blades snapping through her locks.

"Are you freaking out yet?" Penny asked, reappearing by the door frame. She had a thinning grey cat glaring from the tight grip of her arms. "Angel! Are you trying to make her bald?"

"Screw you!" The Shepard girl took a second out of cutting Ellie's hair to flip her the bird. "It looks fine.

Penny laughed as a familiar, black-haired boy pushed past her to get to the icebox. It was Curly, Ellie assumed. He looked nearly the same as his brother.

"Any beer left?" He mumbled in a sleepy voice, squinting from the brightness that erupted from the open door. A hand slipped inside and pushed products away in search of the golden brew.

"We drank it all last night." Angel told him as she crouched to get a better view of her work. Ellie was nervous when Angel had started, but her anxiety dwindled down with each snip. She trusted the Shepard girl... at least, enough to know she wouldn't do anything to hurt her...purposely. And if she did screw up- well, hair grew back. Mistakes could be fixed.

Curly grabbed a milk bottle and slammed the door. Instead of leaving, like Ellie had expected, he hopped up on the counter and watched them as he drank. Penny came up to sit beside him, her fingers brushing through the cat's matted fur in a gentle rhythm that it seemed to grudgingly enjoy.

"You Dally's girl, right?" Curly asked, sharp eyes trained on the girl sitting in the chair. "The Soc who got her car set on fire?"

Angel let out a breezy laugh, shuffling to Ellie's side so she could reach the hair by her ear. "People are still calling you a Soc? I'm telling you, Els, you have got to get out of those girly little dresses."

"I like my girly dresses." Feeling the cold metal slide against her skin, Ellie had to stop herself from reaching up and covering her ear with her hand. "And I'm not Dally's girl! I haven't even said yes-"

"He asked?" Penny gasped, startling the cat. It leaped from her lap and landed gracefully on the floor before sprinting out the door towards the living room. Penny reached her hands out, an expression of total heartbreak written on her face. "Satan! Come back!"

Ellie's looked horrified. "The cat's name is Satan?"

"No, it_ is_ Satan." Explained Curly.

Penny turned back to them, pouting and rubbing a long scratch by her wrist. "I'm always missing out on big events around here."

"Maybe you should actually come to parties, then." Angel shot back, "Your brother comes."

"My brother is a useless idiot, which means someone else needs to actually bring money into the house."

The warmth in Penny's eyes darkened. "I go to school, I work, and then I come home and do my homework and make sure my mother is okay. I don't have the luxury to go out and party all the time."

Ellie's stomach clenched, forcing herself to look away from Penny and the heavy, bitter expression on her face. It was too much like glancing into her future.

Angel looked uncomfortable for the briefest of moments before her icy exterior slid back into position. "Oh, _boo-hoo_, Penny. Leave the self-pity and whining on the south-side, will you? You're a Greaser; you don't get what you want. Not ever."

There was a few seconds of quiet where Ellie concentrated on the sound of her hair being chopped off to avoid the crushing atmosphere that dominated them. When she peered up again, she was relieved to find Penny looking sour but not angry. Angel had already moved on, facing Ellie so that she could give her a thin, light fringe across her forehead.

"Stay very still." Angel mumbled, concentrating on keeping her comb even as she snipped. Ellie felt little bristles falling across her face, tickling her cheeks and the tip of her nose.

"So, how does it feel to be the girl that beat Sylvia at her own game and then ran her out of town?"

Angel's jaw dropped and she straightened so quickly Ellie was sure she had sheered her hair at the scalp. Teeth bared, Angel flung the pair of scissors at Curly's head. He ducked, shouting and cursing, and it bounced off the tile behind him, clattering to a stop on the floor by Ellie's feet.

"You crazy fucking bitch!" He growled, straightening to reveal the milk had spilled across his front when he had bowed out of the way. Wet and angry, he flung the half-empty bottle at her in retaliation, missing both both girls by a few inches.

Ellie squealed, automatically leaping from the chair to get out of their way. Angel let out an outraged roar, reaching behind her to the sink and grabbing a dirty mug.

Curly was on his feet in a second, teeth bared like an animal and he snapped, "Don't you fucking dare-"

"Stop it!" Penny howled, bringing her feet up to her chest on the counter, bundling into a ball to keep out of the crossfire.

The front door slammed, the distant sound just barely registering in Ellie's senses. A few seconds later Tim Shepard was standing at the threshold of the kitchen, his icy gaze freezing them all in their places.

"Clean this shit up." He grumbled, waving toward the spilled milk. Angel clucked her tongue, her seething anger smoothing down into a gentle simmer as she dumped the mug back into the sink.

"I wanted to be the one to tell her." She grumbled, throwing a kitchen rag onto the milk just after Tim had stepped over it to get to the icebox. Curly was no help at all, cursing under his breath and turning back to hop onto the counter again.

Pressed up against the wall on the opposite side of the room, Ellie let out a sigh and relaxed. She wondered why every friend's house she visited ended up becoming a war-zone. "What the heck was that about?"

"I was going to tell you." Angel explained, gesturing to the chair. "Come sit down so I can finish."

"Tell me what?" Ellie crept across and sat down, her heart still pounding. She was so sick of violence, but it appeared to be the only way Greasers knew how to express themselves.

"Well, fuck, I was hoping to tell you in a more exciting way." Angel cast her brother a glare.

He returned it. "How the hell was I supposed to know?"

"Quit it, both of you." Tim muttered, his gaze focused on the contents of the icebox. "Who drank all the damn beer?"

Penny, having uncurled her legs so that they swung softly over the counter, picked at her blouse and attempted to look casual. "How've you been, Tim?"

"Good..." He answered distractedly, turning his head to look her up and down. "Haven't seen you around lately."

Her face flushed as a shy smile erupted across her lips as she chanced a brief moment of eye-contact. "Yeah? You been looking for me?"

Tim shut the icebox and leaned against it, humored by the girl. "Maybe."

Angel gagged loudly a few feet away, chopping through Ellie's hair with violence. "Are you going to sleep with all my friends?"

"Not all of them." Tim shot back with ease, waving a finger at the girl in the chair. "I haven't slept with her... though not for lack of trying."

"Well, I guess I'm glad to have ended the cycle-" Ellie let out a blood-curtling scream, jumping out of the chair for the second time in ten minutes. A hand went to her ear to stem the crimson blood flowing from the nip on her ear. "Angel! That hurt!"

"I'm sorry!" She cried, cringing. "Fuck, I'm really sorry!"

Penny grabbed Ellie's shoulder and pulled her closer, examining the damage. "I don't think it's too bad... you probably didn't hit cartilage."

Tim sighed and went over to the sink. Pulling out a clean dishrag from one of the nearby drawers, he wet it under the sink and handed it to Ellie. She passed it to Penny, who put one hand on the back of her head as she dabbed at the wound. Ellie squeezed her eyes shut, trying to steady her breathing and ignore the throbbing pain that coursed through the side of her face.

"Oh Jesus," Angel snorted, "Don't cry."

"Oh, fuck no." Curly shook his head and hopped down from the counter, hurrying to the living room entrance. He waved a dismissing hand at them. "I can't handle crying."

"I'm not crying!" Ellie exclaimed through grit teeth, knowing full well that tears had begun to dribble down her cheeks. "It hurts, okay? You try getting your ear chopped off!"

Laughing, Angel tucked the sheers back into it's respective drawer before approaching them to take a look at that she had done. "I know I shouldn't be, but I'm actually very surprised at how much of a baby you are. Haven't you ever been in a fight?"

Ellie cracked an eye open. "No, of course not. Who am I supposed to be fighting?"

Tim snorted. "Sylvia, for one."

"Right..." Ellie blanched. She had forgotten about that; all of her own problems had put her in a self-absorbed mind-set. Truth be told, she hadn't been paying attention to anything that wasn't already screaming in her face. "I haven't seen her since the party at Buck's. Are you sure she even cares?"

"Oh, she cares." Penny explained with a knowing nod. She brought her hands away from Ellie's face to readjust the towel before resuming her previous position. "She's-"

"She's run off to find her father in Los Angeles!" Angel interrupted with an excited shout, "Hah! I'm the one who told her!"

Penny rolled her eyes.

"She... what?" Ellie blinked, mouth opening and closing as if she could somehow find an explanation in her own words. She could recall the conversation she had with Sylvia about her dream to become a famous celebrity in Hollywood. She had been convinced her biological father resided there, and that they would somehow form a relationship after sixteen years of absence. It was shameful to admit that Ellie had been surprised that Sylvia even had dreams. Worst of all, Dallas had been in it, standing side-by-side with her through it all. Ellie had taken that away.

"She left the morning after the party." Angel explained with a solemn expression that fooled no one. "I drove her to the train station. She had been crying; I could tell because her makeup looked like shit and she has this really mad look on her face when she's trying to hold it all in. I always knew she had a soft spot for Dallas, but the way they were always fighting, I didn't think she actually... loved him, or anything."

Penny nudged her knee against Ellie's side playfully. "Jesus, you really screwed her over, didn't you?"

"Love?" Ellie choked out, feeling as if her legs might give out underneath her. She grabbed onto the counter. "She loves him? I-I.. I didn't- Sylvia loves Dallas?"

Tim gave his sister a whack over the head as he passed by, moving to follow his brother's footsteps out of the room. "Now look what you've done! You broke the Soc."

"I can't believe she's gone..." Ellie sighed, tugging out of Penny's reach, suddenly feeling more suffocated than pained. "I can't believe I could be so horrible... oh my gosh... she was my friend, and I got between her and the man she loved! I wasn't even thinking-... I knew it was wrong, and I knew it would hurt her, but I did it anyway- Oh my go-"

"Oh, Els!" Angel laughed, grabbing her shoulders to steady her. "Calm down, will you? We were just giving you flack, alright? Jeez, take a deep breath!"

"Look, It's not like you're suddenly an evil bitch or anything." Penny slid down from the counter and went to wash out the rag in the overfilled sink. "I mean, it was a pretty cruel thing to do, but what's done is done, and it's not like Sylvia hasn't ever slept with a taken man, or cheated on Dallas either way."

Angel pushed her down to sit back in the chair, taking the comb back to brush it soothingly through Ellie's hair. "Penny's right. There is no girl in Tulsa that hasn't been scorned by her some time or another. Really, you just did us all a favor."

Ellie knew they were only trying to help, but justifying her actions only seemed to make them abundantly worse. If it had been the right thing to do, then why did she feel so bone-crushingly guilty? Because it hadn't been. She knew, it and Angel and Penny knew it, but what were friends for, if not to convince you that you could do no wrong? It was times like these she wished she could speak to her mother. She had always been truthful about Ellie's mistakes.

She pulled Dally's ring out of her pocket and ran a finger across the ruby gem, feeling the weight of it now more than ever.

"I don't even know if I want to be in a relationship with him." Ellie admitted. "I did this to Sylvia, and it could be for no reason at all."

Angel stopped her ministrations on her hair to crouch down on Ellie's left. She put one hand on her knee and the other on her wrist. When they're eyes met, she could see the beginnings of sincerity in the young Shepard's face. "Oh, honey, you're just scared. I've been your friend for long enough to know that you wouldn't have bothered to go this far if you didn't have real feelings for this boy."

"But..." Ellie found herself staring hard at the initials engraved along the gem. It wasn't Dally's- she had been told that he had stolen it off of some old man long before she had even moved to Tulsa. The whole ring felt like one big warning sign. "He... I don't think he's right for me, though... I mean, he's been to jail, Angel. He beats people up, and he drinks too much, and he's wrapped up in bad situations all the time, and he thinks it's perfectly okay to set a girl's car on fire-"

"Yes, you're right." Angel cut in, her nails digging into Ellie's skin as if to say 'shut up'. "Dallas Winston is an utter bastard that's destined for nothing but the worst levels of hell. But you know that- you knew that the moment you started this whole thing."

"Has he ever hurt you?" Penny asked, peeking at them over her shoulder. "Has he ever touched you in a way you didn't like? Or has he ever said horrible things to you?"

Ellie shook her head.

"Well, that's the best you can get on this side of town." She shrugged, turning back to wring the rag out. "And it's a hell of a lot better than what Sylvia ever got."

She brought her bottom lip in and bit down on it, disgusted by the meaning in Penny's words. But also horrifically comforted at the thought of Dallas treating her better than he had ever treated any other girl. "I'm a selfish person."

"It's a rather common trait in Socs. Come, let's look at your hair." Angel got back up, the joints in her knees popping. Offering a hand, she pulled Ellie up and dragged her through the clutter of her house and into a small powder room.

Flicking on the lights, Ellie was confronted with her own image. Most noticeable was the blood that had slid down the side of her throat to soak the collar of her dress. She had bled more than she had thought. Though Penny had been right; the cut wasn't as awful as she had imagined in her head. Next was the cropped hair, dangling much shorter than she had asked for, barely brushing against her shoulders. But it was cut even, which was the most crucial part, and her bangs did look rather good.

"Do you like?" Angel asked, staring at her through the mirror. She brought a hand up and crossed her fingers.

"It's lovely." Ellie wasn't sure if she was lying or not.

Angel nodded, pleased by her answer, running her uncrossed fingers through the length of her hair. "Your hair is so damn soft, Els."

She offered her friend a weak smile. Her hair didn't seem to matter so much anymore- even if it had come out horrible, she would have let it go. Mistakes were easily fixed when it came to some things... but only some things. "Thanks."

"Oh, darling..." Angel sighed, reading her expression easily. She snatched Dally's ring from Ellie's hand, ignoring the squeal of protest as she strung it through her mother's old chain that had been sitting on the powder room counter for months. Holding it up, they stared at the hunk of metal through the glass. "As Curly loves to say: you made your bed, and now you have to fuck in it."

Angel had offered to give them a ride home, but Tim insisted that he needed the car. Penny and Ellie were left to take the bus, which meant a five-minute lesson on how bus-routes worked. Then spending another twenty for Penny, riding with Ellie to make sure she got off at the right stop before looping back to go home.

Johnny had made it downstairs and was sitting on the couch with Lord and Lady, engulfed in a blanket of fur. He looked up as she came in. "Where'd you go after school?"

"Angel's." She dropped her bag on the floor and crawled into the small unoccupied space in the sofa. Lady scooted over and placed her head on her lap, asking to be patted. "I asked her to cut my hair. Do you like?"

He reached over and twisted the end of a lock between his fingers. "It's short, but it looks good... I think you're bleeding."

"I know, thanks." Ellie smiled, burrowing further into Lady's warmth, absently scratching her behind the ears. "Angel clipped my ear. My mom would kill me if she knew I let anyone without a two year degree in cosmetology touch my hair."

Johnny shared her smile, the swelling on his cheek having done down enough to allow it. "I guess there are up-sides to having no parents."

Ellie tilted her head, thinking. "Huh... You're right, actually. I haven't thought about all the things I get to do now that no one's breathing down my neck... Like, I don't even have to clean my room anymore!"

"You...you should though."

"Yeah, no, I probably should."

Ellie untangled from the nest and stretched. "I'm going to go shower before I start dinner."

"No need." Johnny stuck a hand up to gesture toward the kitchen, much to Lord's dissatisfaction. "Soda came by an hour ago with some lasagna. There may or may not be a layer of M&amp;Ms at the bottom of it, 'for convenient dessert', he said."

Ellie shot him a look of disgust as she slid through the doorway. Hopping up the stairs two at a time, she grabbed a clean towel from the linen closet and brought it into the bathroom. In a matter of minutes the room was suffocating in mist. She stripped and slipped under the steady stream of scolding water, ignoring the sting as it battered her cut ear. Allowing only a few minutes to adjust, Ellie was soon scrubbing the dirt from her scalp, shampooing, conditioning, and washing the scattering of hair that had settled on her shoulders and chest from Angel's untidy cut. She rinsed quickly, already feeling the water temperature begin to fall. Switching the shower off and squeezing the excess moisture from her hair, she secured the towel around her waist and stepped out of the tub.

Ellie grabbed her laundry to throw in the basket, jumping as Dally's ring clattered onto the floor from the overturned pocket of her dress.

"_Oh god_." She groaned to herself, dropping down to her knees. She picked up the ring and held it in her palm. The chain that Angel had supplied strung off the side, grazing the floor. Even the touch of it sent a buzz through her, as if it held a part of Dallas himself. She wanted to bring it to her lips, touch it to her heart... Her eyes drifted shut as she leaned against the counter, knowing she had to make a decision, and knowing her decision had already been made.

Ellie found the clasp of the necklace and unhooked it, looping the thin metal links around her neck before connecting the ends once more. When she was finished, Dally's class ring hung low between her breasts, the awkward shape and weight digging ever so slightly into her skin. A thin, secretive smile fluttered across her lips, disappearing as she stood and threw her old clothes in the hamper.

Lady had her nose pressed to the bottom of Ellie's bedroom door, sniffing excessively.

"What is it, honey?" She asked, bending down to scratch her along her spine before turning the knob to let them both in. Lady's nails clacked against the hardwood as she approached the bed, snatched one of the two boots sitting by her nightstand, and ran back out to share her prize with her counterpart. Ellie watched her go, contemplating chasing the pup down before she did any damage, but the thought was sleeting. Johnny would deal with it. She turned back to the bed. Sound asleep, Dallas had his head in her pillow, a forearm strung over his eyes to block out the orange beams of sunset streaming through the window. His already tattered jeans and t-shirt had formed a layer of grime after a day's work on Slash-J's ranch, dirtying her pristine white sheets. Ellie inched closer, her attention drifting from the lean, defined muscles in his arms to the white, jagged scar running down the underside of his bicep, to the two inches of stomach his disheveled shirt revealed, flaunting a thin happy-trail and deep hipbones that disappeared under his jeans.

Ellie turned away, her cheeks red with embarrassment. She slid open the top drawer of her dresser and pulled out a pair of panties, slipping them on with as much discreetness as she could muster. The bottom drawer held her pajamas, and she dressed in striped shorts with a soft cotton shirt to match. Feeling a little less naked and a whole lot braver, she slunk back to the bed, this time choosing to sit on the edge. She reached for his forearm but hesitated, fingers lingering only centimeters from his skin, so close she could feel his natural heat.

This was it- this was the moment. When Dallas woke up he'd see his ring strung across her neck and he'd finally get his answer. But was it really the answer she wanted to give him? Without having commanded it, her fingers found the cool metal of the ring once more. She thought about her parent's expectations; of Angel's advise; of Johnny's soft, disbelieving smile when she had declared to never speak to Dallas Winston again; of Sylvia, and how she must feel so painfully lonely on the long ride to Hollywood; of Dallas, lastly, and the way he could make her feel like... Ellie smiled down at the Greaser sprawled across her bed.

He made her feel like the way she did as a child in summer, when days seemed to stretch for months and nothing had reason and everything was simply for fun.

Ellie wrapped a hand around his wrist and lifted his heavy arm away, revealing the handsome face underneath. "Dallas, wake up."

Dallas woke up slowly, slipping out of her grip to stretch his limbs across the bed. Only when he had relaxed again did his eyes drift open.

"Hey." He mumbled sleepily, followed by a yawn that exposed nearly all of his teeth. "What time is it?"

"Not nearly late enough for you to be asleep in my bed." Ellie found herself face-to-chest with him as he sat up, rubbing his eyes with dirty hands. "How was work?"

Dallas made a non-committal noise, struggling to stay awake. Ranch work must have been hard to make him so tired.

Ellie pushed a mess of silvery-blonde hair out of his forehead, scraping her nails across his scalp until she reached nape of his neck, just the way she knew he liked it. Dally's chest rumbled in a deep hum of pleasure, his hands moving to their natural place on her waist. His fingers were rougher and grimier than usual, but the texture of it against her clean soft skin gave her shivers.

"You can go back to sleep if you're so tired." She told him, "If you're hungry, Soda brought lasagna... and desert over for dinner."

But Dallas wasn't listening. He had finally noticed his ring as it dangled between them.

"I was beginning to think you'd lost it in that massive bag of your's." It must have been a joke, but his tone and expression was unreadable.

"...T-this is what you wanted, right?" Ellie asked uncertainly, trying to catch his gaze and find something- anything in his icy blue eyes. She was left exposed, all her feelings dangling heavily on a chain, seeking a sort of validation she wasn't sure she would receive. She knew the ring had mean't that he wanted her- maybe just as much as she wanted him- but there would always be that tiny seed of doubt growing in her mind. It was the expression in his face, the tenseness under his skin... the towering wall he had built up around himself. Even in a good mood, there was something about him that made Ellie feel like he was always a step out of reach. Did he ever feel as naked as she did right then?

He smirked, a deep chuckle rolling up his throat like waves on a beach. She suddenly felt as if she had fallen victim to a cruel trick. Skin crawling at his touch and tears tickling the back of her eyes, Ellie went to the ring to rip it from her throat. He stopped her.

A hand pressed to the small of her back, Dallas tugged Ellie towards him so abruptly she nearly fell into his chest. But there was no time to recover; he grabbed her chin, tilted her face, and then his lips were crashing onto her's. Ellie gasped, caught off guard, grabbing his shoulders in an attempt to steady herself. The sound only emboldened him, his rash kiss becoming something more demanding. A hand jerked at her thigh, a silent order to come even closer. She complied with eagerness, breaking their kiss just long enough to crawl into Dally's lap, pressing her knees tightly against his hips. Then he was kissing her again, teasing her mouth open, devouring her with a hunger that both frightened and ignited her. He tasted like cigarettes, something she would usually dislike, but at the moment she couldn't get enough of it- if anything she wanted more. Every slide Dally's hands made against her skin sent jolts of electricity up her spine, leaving her shaky and uncontrolled, and this she wanted more of as well. Ellie left his shoulders to grip his blonde locks, pulling him tighter still, moaning into his mouth and craving the growl he made in response. Kissing Dallas made her feel like rabbit being hunted by a wolf. He could catch her, pin her down, tear into her flesh and soak his maw in her warm blood, but oh God, wouldn't it be such a blissful way to die?

Dally gripped the top of her thighs and threw her down against the bed. Ellie whimpered, distraught to have him suddenly so far away from her reach. He remedied this in seconds, pressing his face into the crook of her neck to nip and suck the smooth skin below her jaw. Her mouth parted, gasping his name as the electric shocks thrumming across her pooled into a deep heat at her core. A small part of Ellie demanded that she tell him to stop- to pull out of his grip and remind them both of the boundaries she needed to keep. But Dallas made her feel so good; better than she ever thought she would feel. To finally have him, in all the ways she wanted, was too much of a relief to push him away again.

Dally left her throat, trailing kisses along her jaw before capturing her lips once one hand still gripping her thigh, he tucked his other hand underneath her thin pajama shirt and cupped her bare breast.

Despite her wishes, Ellie's instincts kicked in. She squirmed underneath him, whining, pressing her palms against his shoulders. Dallas pulled back, his brows furrowed in annoyance and confusion.

"What?" He growled impatiently, and she had to stop herself from tugging him in for another kiss.

Ellie brushed her fingers against his hand through the cloth of her shirt, but didn't remove it. "Dally, you know I can't... I'm-"

"-Waiting for marriage." Dallas stared down at her with unmasked dissatisfaction. "Yeah, I remember."

"I'm sorry..." She offered in a small voice, her heart plummeting as he retreated from her. Following his lead, they sat side by side on the edge of the bed, Dallas staring into the opposite wall as Ellie peered fearfully up at him.

"Are you made at me?" She asked after a moment of silence.

"No." He answered shortly, pulling out his cigarette carton. Ellie didn't make a move to stop him as he lit one and took a long, deep drag. He didn't sound angry, but it didn't sound as if he was very happy either. Again, she found herself facing a wall of well concealed emotions.

"You seem mad."

Dally scratched above his eyebrow with his thumb and sighed. "I'm not. I'm actually surprised you let me go that far."

"Oh... well..." Ellie cracked a gentle smile and blushed, relieved that he wasn't about to take his ring back and storm out. "You are a pretty good kisser, Dallas."

He grinned cockily back at her. "I am, aren't I?"

"Just not good enough." She shot back in retaliation. After all, she wouldn't be doing anybody a favor by inflating Dally's head any more than it already was.

He snorted and took another drag before pinching the neckband of her shirt and tugging it up to cover her scandalously exposed cleavage. "Apparently not. I guess I'm just wondering how many times this has to happen before you cave in."

Ellie bit her lip, trying to ignore the way he very purposely brushed his finger against her collarbone. "The night of our wedding, probably."

"We'll see." Dallas offered in a low, ominous voice. His hand trailed up to the tip of her wet hair and tugged a thin brunette lock. "You got a haircut- _shit_, Els, your ear is bleeding."

Ellie rolled her eyes. "Angel couldn't decide if she wanted to fist fight her brother or cut my hair, so she decided to do both."

Dallas gave her wound a long look and then got up. Sticking his cigarette back in his mouth, he offered his hand to her. "Come on, let's get some M&amp;M lasagna before Johnny eats it all."

* * *

**Oh la la! So many things happened in this chapter! Ellie finally got a hold of a family member, gets harassed by Socs at school, hangs out with the Shepards, gets her hair cut, and then FINALLY hooks up with Dallas. Also, Sylvia is MIA and Johnny is still recovering from his dad's beating.**

**I should probably clear some things up and answer a few questions from the reviews I got:**

**You're right, Ellie and Johnny don't actually have to pay rent. It was just a joke Ellie made that wasn't %100 thought through, if that makes sense. It was used more for humor than... accuracy... sorry for the confusion! But they do have to pay for stuff like electricity and water, etc. **

**Also, I actually have never read 'That Was Then, This Is Now', so I had no idea Angel's hair got cut off... But I'm glad I was accidentally accurate! ...I should probably read that, huh?**

**Most importantly: Please try not to think so much on the timeline or ages of the characters because... well... I didn't really plan ahead when I began writing this story. I know technically the Curtis parents should be alive, Pony should be in middle school, and Soda would probably still be in school, but... honestly I wasn't sure how far I was going to stretch this story... It'll be easier if you try not to pay attention to these details. If it helps, though, I've kind of been seeing this story spanning around a year. And since it started mid-spring, I might start on the actual plot of The Outsiders by the next mid-spring... But I apologize for the lazy writing!**

**Anyway, I'm very grateful for the reviews! It's always amazing to see how you react to certain parts and how you feel about the characters.**

**Let me know how you felt about Dally and Ellie's first make-out session! ;)**


	25. Call It Fate, Call It Karma

25.

Dallas was happy. There wasn't a lot of moments in his life that could put a smile on his face, but today was just one of those days. He had woken to a stream of sunshine brightening his usually dark bedroom, and when he went downstairs to have his first morning cigarette on the front porch, there was a cool breeze cutting through the early September heat. He leaned against the railing for a good long while, listening to the birds chirp and watching the cars zip down the long road leading out of town. Then he went back in and rifled through the icebox for something to eat, but all there was left was a jar of pickles and milk that was so expired that it had began to resemble yogurt instead. It had been Buck's turn to buy groceries, and the lack of would usually set Dallas off enough to get into a fight with his room-mate, but he couldn't work up enough effort to really care. Being in a good mood made him lazy like that; he never wanted to argue or fight or even get into any trouble. Dallas would have spent the whole day sitting on the porch and chain-smoking if the urge to see the gang hadn't been strong enough.

Washing his face and combing his hair back with a healthy dose of product, he dressed up in freshly washed clothes and headed out. Buck was gone, taking his car with him, so Dallas was forced to take the bus with the rest of the lower-class. The whole ride he was stuck sitting beside a little boy while his mother hovered close by on the other side of the row. His hair was as light as Dally's and his clothes were all a size too big, and he kept looking up at him with big, frightened eyes until his mom gave his elbow a pinch. A few moments later he'd be right back at it. Dallas tried to stare out the window, concentrating on the sways and jolts of the bus as it dipped into the potholes lining the road. Then the kid started swinging his tiny legs, nicking the back of his calf so often that Dallas was beginning to think he was doing it on purpose. He wanted to reach over and strangle the little bastard until his eyes popped out of his head for ruining his good mood. He hated kids more than anything. He hated the way they were always doing nonsensical shit, or getting in the way of things, or how they were almost always dirty and smelly and _always_ crying. Mostly he hated the way they never lived by any damn rules. They didn't care about money or jobs or reputations; they were too busy making mud pies and shitting themselves.

The bus turned a sharp corner and Dallas saw the kid leaning sideways, too tiny and weak to fully fight the pull of gravity. Dallas gave him a light shove with his leg, hiding his smirk as the little fucker slid out of his seat and onto the dirty floor.

His mother gasped, dipping down and grabbing the boy under his arm to haul him up. The kid's face was red with embarrassment as he burst out into sobs, trying to speak but too distraught to form proper words.

"Are you alright, honey?" His mom asked, pulling him onto her lap. "I told you to hold on tightly when the bus makes turns, didn't I? Oh, stop crying honey, you're okay, you're okay!"

Dallas got off at the next stop, his mood lifting once more.

When he got to the Curtis' house Ponyboy was whisking up a couple eggs in a bowl as big as his head. He was the only one awake on a Saturday morning; his two older brothers could be heard softly snoring from their respective beds.

"Hey." Dallas mumbled, grabbing a slice from the bread bin before he found a comfy seat at the breakfast table, choosing the chair directly under the window so he could soak up the sun. "Make me some of that, will ya'?"

Ponyboy nodded without turning his head. He shuffled back and forth across the kitchen, lighting the stove element and then back to grab the bacon out of the icebox. Dallas watched for a second before turning out the window, chewing slowly on his bread. He _did_ hate kids, but if there was ever an exception to the rule, it would be Ponyboy. They had known each other for most of their lives- since before Dally's dad dragged them off to New York for some stupid 'get-rich-quick' scheme. When he came back, Pony had grown from a baby to a full fledged human- and quite the example of perfection as well. He excelled in everything from his studies to athleticism to arts... hell, he was even a quick learner when it came to rumbles. Dallas didn't mind admitting he was jealous (especially when Pony was always hogging his mother's attention) but that didn't mean he wasn't proud of him too. He had a special place in his heart for Ponyboy- for the whole gang, really. They all had a way of looking at the world like there was still something out there worth while. Some days, like today, Dallas could almost see the same.

Pony was getting nervous in the silence. Dallas was only ever silent for two reasons: he was happy and satisfied, or he was angry and dangerous. They both knew the youngest _hated _getting wrapped up in Dally's trouble.

Dallas finished the bread and lit another cigarette. "You're burning the bacon, idiot."

Pony shot him a glare over the shoulder before flipping the thin strips of meat over on the skillet. Dally was snickering when Soda staggering into the kitchen.

"Food..." He mumbled like a zombie in a movie, grabbing his brother by the shoulders and giving him a playful shake. Pony cursed, knocking his elbow against the pan handle as he turned around to smack his brother with the greasy spatula.

Soda tried to dodge but got a splatter of oil on his old t-shirt anyway. He didn't seem to notice as he came to sit down beside Dallas.

"Well, look who it is!" He exclaimed, thumping his palm against Dally's shoulder. "Tulsa's very own lady killer!"

"Oh _God_." Dallas heard Pony mumble under his breath, exasperated. Dallas felt the exact same way.

Soda tucked his legs in and balanced his feet on the edge of his chair, grinning from ear to ear. "How long have you been together now? A week? Steve owes five bucks."

Dallas blinked, a thin, amused smirk flitting across his mouth that he often had when he was about to rough someone up. "You've all been betting, huh?"

"Oh, since the beginning!" Soda replied, unfazed. He reached over and started to mess with a few papers and books that had accumulated on the table. Pulling out a small notepad that they usually took phone messages on, he flipped to the last few pages and passed it to Dally.

He scanned through the words with a skeptical eyebrow raised. It was kind of annoying to find out they were all betting on a relationship that had barely just started, but he wasn't really surprised either. Hell, if he had been let in on it he would have probably been betting himself.

"You bet..." Dallas squinted at Two-Bit's distinctly messy writing. "You bet 'forever and ever'?"

Soda nodded rapidly, distracted only as Pony came forward and dropped plates of eggs and bacon in front of them before the youngest joined them at the table with his own plate.

"Hey, I'm just bein' supportive." Soda grumbled, kicking his feet back down to the ground as he scooted closer to the table and picked up a piece of bacon.

"He also bet when you'd tell each other 'I love you.'" Ponyboy admitted freely. "And when you'll get married, get her knocked up, and how long it'll take before she makes you an honest man-"

"Pony, shut up!" Soda cried, "You're freaking him out!"

Dallas suddenly felt like he was going to burst out of his skin. He tossed the notepad onto the table, too nauseous to read any longer.

Soda's smile faded as he noticed his friend's expression. He clapped him on the shoulder again. "Hey! Don't worry, alright? Only me and Two-Bit got that far- Steve didn't even think you'd last a week, and Darry refused to bet at all! ...He's kind of uncomfortable with you two dating in the first place, to be honest."

Fighting the urge to light up his third smoke of the day, Dallas picked up his fork and stabbed a chunk of scrambled eggs. "He ain't the only one."

They ate in silence for a moment.

"Hey, Soda?" Pony started, looking up from his plate. "How're you ever gonna collect on a bet like 'forever and ever?'"

His brother's mega-watt smile fell from his face.

* * *

It was the first time in a long time that all of them had the day off. Steve was scheduled for a ten to seven shift at the DX, but he had hacked out a lung on the phone with his boss to get out of it. They celebrated by grabbing Darry's old, dirty football and heading to the empty lot. They had been doing this for years; long before the Curtis parents passed. Dallas could remember them when they were still racing down the street on bikes, trying to beat each other to the grassy field. Darry would usually win unless he had given his bike to Soda, who didn't have one of his own. Johnny didn't either until he and Dally went down to the park by the tracks and stole some from a pair of Soc kids. There was never a bike that was Pony's size, so he was always hitching a ride from one of them. Pony probably didn't even know how to ride a bike; by the time he had been big enough the rest of them had outgrown theirs and were taking the bus or getting their licenses.

Darry, Soda, and Two-Bit were on one team and Dallas, Steve, and Ponyboy formed another. They're teams never varied much; it was hard to even out the odds when their strengths were all so different. Naturally Darry could never be on the side as Steve or Dallas or else their strength would overweight the other team's, but Soda and Two-Bit were easily interchangeable, and so were Pony and Johnny. There was only one game ever played with all the Curtis boys on one team. It had ended with the ball in a tree, Two-Bit sporting a sprained wrist, and Ponyboy in tears. Ruby Curtis had given them all a long lecture for it, and they hadn't played on the same team ever since.

Johnny sat this game out. He was looking much better than before, but they knew his rib was still hurting him and Darry wouldn't have let him play even if he wanted to. Instead he sat under the shade of a tree by the far end of the lot, reading one of Ponyboy's adventure books. They had taken Ellie's dogs out as they passed her house and Lord was on guard beside him, stiff-backed and watching the near-by road while Lady sniffed around the fence. Dallas kept turning his head to check on him during pauses in the game, just to make sure he wasn't getting bored or lonely. He wouldn't admit it, but he was always keeping an eye on Johnny whenever he was near. Sometimes he would even seek the kid out just to make sure he was okay. It wasn't because he was scared that he would get into trouble. It was because he sometimes had a look on his face when he was left on his lonesome- a look Dallas understood all too well. He couldn't have described the relief he had felt when Johnny had refused to go back to that house after knocking his father out. It was as if he had been off at war all these years and the rest of them had been kept on native soil, doing the best they could and praying to God for his safety... But now he was home, and whatever was left of him could be patched up until he was nearly brand new.

As if to compensate for the emotions churning in his chest, Dallas played especially vicious on the field. He even managed to sneak past Darry and score a rare but rewarding touch-down before the sun grew too warm and the boy's determination dwindled with laziness. By the time Ellie came upon them the game had ended. Soda and Two-Bit were tossing the ball while Lady ran back and forth between them and the rest of the boys were lounging under the shade of the tree, shooting the bull or listening to Johnny as he read '_Journey to The Center of The Earth_' out loud.

Dallas had been caught up arguing with Steve over the complexities of stealing the most valuable parts of a Soc's car when Ellie had rounded the corner of the lot. With his back to the street, he wasn't aware of her approach until she was already on them.

"What're you boys up to today?" She was bare footed, a pair of white heels swinging in her hand while the other clutched the handle of a tin picnic basket. Easing it onto the grass between their feet, she crouched down beside Dallas and peppered the side of his face with kisses.

The boys broke out into a roar of whistles and teasing. Dallas scowled and grabbed Ellie's wrist to pull her down into his lap and stop her. He hadn't realized dating Ellie would require being smothered by affection. It wasn't something he was very comfortable with. Using contact to create sexual tension_\- that _he could do. He could press his hands into her waist when they were locking lips, or skim his fingers along her thigh when they were driving. But what Ellie did was different, more... _emotional_, and it made him want to squirm.

"A hello would have worked just as well." He grumbled to her, flipping his friends the bird to silence them.

She smiled and patted his cheek. "That wouldn't have made you blush, though."

Dallas scowled. "I'm not goddamn blushing."

"Right." Steve snorted, "Dallas Winston doesn't blush, don't you know? He just gets very sudden, very red sunburns on his cheeks."

Dallas flipped him the bird and reminded himself to give Steve a long over-due beating.

"I brought sandwiches." Ellie explained, cracking open the basket's lid and rolling her eyes as seven dirty hands darted towards the food she had stashed inside."Some are peanut butter and jelly and some are baloney and cheese. There are cokes and beer at the bottom as well."

Darry waved his hand to call Soda and Two-Bit over to eat. Lady, having finally noticed her owner, came trotting in between the boys to rub her soft white head against Ellie's shoulder. She laughed, scratched her hard on the nape of her neck, and then grabbed her collar to compel the dog to sit down beside them. Lord, on the other hand, wasn't at inclined to wake from his nap to greet his human keeper.

"How'd ya' find us?" Pony asked, crumbs falling onto his shirt as he chewed on his sandwich.

"I was saw you guys playing football while I was walking home." Ellie explained, pointing behind them to a little ways down the road. "I figured you'd all be hungry by now. It's an hour past noon."

Dallas squinted up at the sun as it shone through the thick foliage of the tree they sat under. Ellie was right; they had already burnt the whole morning up playing around in the lot.

"How did your interviews go?" Darry asked her, bringing Dally back down to their conversation. He peered down at the girl between his legs. After a few months in Tulsa, she had eased into a more relaxed way of dressing but today she was in full Soc costume. Her whole outfit looked as if it cost more than what Dallas made in a year.

Ellie groaned with defeat. "Pretty badly. I had two of them and neither one of them bothered to take me seriously. They spent the whole time asking me why my parents didn't just give me allowance money... and I couldn't very well tell them the real story!"

Soda reached up and patted her on the head, sympathetic. They could tell he wanted to muss her hair up, but she had it done up so intricately that it was almost a shame to ruin it.

"You gotta look like you need the job, kiddo." He explained, "They probably thought you were only there to piss off your father or make a statement for women's liberation. No one's gonna hire you if they think you'll run off once you're point is made."

Ellie pouted, eyes drifting downwards as she scratched behind Lady's ear. She looked as if she had a million things to say, but instead she settled on, "That's stupid."

Two-Bit nudged Johnny. "At least you're roommate's got a job now!"

"Where?" Darry asked, having already scarfed down his sandwich. It did nothing to fill his stomach; he could eat a dozen and still be hungry an hour later.

"With us at the DX." Soda explained as Johnny ducked his head and pretended they weren't all staring at him. "He's gonna be manning the register and work the pumps too."

Johnny getting a job was good news. Most kids that ran away ended up back home in a matter of days. The gang had been silently holding their breaths, waiting for the day Ellie would wake up to an empty house. But that time hadn't come yet. Getting a job was a good sign; it mean't Johnny was thinking of the future. It mean't he was planning to stay.

"Part-time, right?" Ellie insisted, a certain tone in her voice.

Johnny shot her the meanest look he could muster, which wasn't much. "_Yes_."

"What's this about?" Dallas asked with a raised eyebrow. He had never heard them talk to each other so sharply before. He wondered if maybe living together wasn't such a good idea after all.

Both Johnny and Ellie shrugged and turned their gazes elsewhere.

"Nothin'." They corused.

Two-Bit's hand shot up to his face, a long frown on his face and his eyes squinted like he was about to start crying. "You two better not be fighting! It'll break my goddamn heart, I swear! I can't live in a world where you two aren't peas in a pod! I'll cast my fragile body into the sea-"

"Shut up, Two-Bit!" Steve grumbled, punching him hard on the shoulder. "Jesus, are you drunk already?"

Two-Bit rubbed his smarting arm and shouted, "How could I possibly be drunk, you idiot! I've been here all day with you guys! I've only gotten one damn beer in me since this morning-"

"Quit yellin', would you?" Ponyboy snapped, rubbing his temple. "You're giving me a headache."

"Look what you've done!" Soda was trying not to burst into laughter as he waved a finger between Johnny and Ellie. "If you two don't get along, this whole damn gang is going to crumble apart!"

Dallas snorted and picked out his cigarette packet from it's nest in his shirt sleeve. Sometimes it was hard to believe that this was where he had ended up in life, sitting with a bunch of kids in an empty lot and arguing over _nothing_. It seemed like such an easy, simple thing to do. Nothing like he had ever expected of himself. Spending those years in New York, where close-knit friends were a rarity and care-free moments was non-existent, had made him believe this kind of life was only reserved for those who didn't live in the projects. It made him happy... but it made him sort-of sad, as well. If only he had _known_, maybe he wouldn't have turned out the way he had. Maybe he would have turned out like Two-Bit or Soda, who could laugh and joke even when things came down hard on them.

Ellie must have sensed his change in mood because when he glanced up from lighting his cigarette she had twisted around to smile at him. She was leaning her back into his shoulder, his arm around her waist. He was a little sweaty from playing football but she didn't seem to care.

When she turned back around, Dally tucked her closer and rested his chin on her head. It was the only way he knew to tell her he was fine without saying it out loud.

"-Bradley's house. You know, that skinny wack-o in Shepard's outfit?" Two-Bit had moved on from his dramatics and had started on the story of his previous night out. "Well, he'd just gotten out of prison, and he pulled up his sleeve and showed me this tattoo he got inside!"

"What did it look like?" Johnny inquired.

"It was..." Two-Bit had to stop and think. "It was a skull with rubies for eyes! It was actually kind of good, ya' know, for a stick-n'-poke. He offered to do it on me, and I was gonna do it until I saw the nasty needle he brought out! I would have gotten an infection so bad, chopping my arm off would have been the _best_ case scenario!"

"My brother and his friends used to do that kind of thing all the time. They used to make me set up the needle 'cause my fingers were smallest." Ellie put a hand up to her mouth to cover a yawn. Dallas hadn't noticed how tired she looked until now. She was nearly falling asleep in his arms. When she spoke she had a delirious, sleepy tone of voice. "They all got little bobcats on different parts of their bodies. My dad has a bobcat on his shoulder... Now that I'm thinkin' about it, that was a gang thing, wasn't it? Golly, I'm dumb."

Two-Bit slapped the tree trunk in excitement. "_We _should have gang tattoos!"

"No." Darry replied automatically.

"Come on, Darry!" Two-Bit persisted before turning to Ellie. "You know how to do them, right, Els?"

"Sure I do." Ellie admitted, "But I'm not doing it."

The red-head's face fell. "Why not?"

"Darry said 'no'."

Darry puffed out his chest a little at Ellie's reply. He wasn't one to abuse his power as the gang's unspoken leader, but he did get a kick out of being obeyed... it wasn't very often that he was, truthfully. His brothers had to listen to him at all times, of course, but the only times the rest of the gang really followed his orders was during time of crisis, or rumbles.

"Darry ain't the boss of me!" Two-Bit hollered, jumping up and scrambling his way through them. "I'll show you yellow-bellied cowards!"

"He's _got_ to be drunk." Steve groaned. Like flies to a light, they gathered themselves up and started after their eccentric friend. Out of the shade the sun was ten times hotter, beating down on them without any mercy. Unable to stand the scorching cement, Ellie slipped on her heels with a loud, miserable groan before following them down the road. In a matter of minutes they in front of her house and she rushed into the yard to put the dogs back and fill up their water bowls. They boys stopped to wait for her but Two-Bit was impatient. He swung open the front door to the Curtis' house and disappeared inside.

When the rest of them came in he was digging around in Ponyboy's school bag, tossing notebooks and loose papers across the coffee table.

"Hey, quit it!" Pony shouted, wrenching his bag from his grip. "What the hell are you doing?"

Two-Bit stuck out his hand expectantly. Something had come over him; it was his mission to prove he couldn't be told what to do. "I need a pencil."

Pony looked to Darry. His brother shrugged and passed them to grab a beer from the kitchen. Pony slapped a short, mostly used pencil into Two-Bit's palm.

"This is a bad idea." Ellie curled up on the floor, most of the couch being occupied by the boys. Dallas wouldn't have complained if she sat in his lap again, but they were all too sweaty and hot for it to appealing.

Two-Bit grabbed the needle Soda used to sew up bigger injuries from the first-aid kit in the washroom. It took him a few tries to properly lodge the needle between the eraser and tin encasing. Then he turned to Soda. "You got any ink?"

"I got a pen." Pony answered instead, throwing one at him. He was still a little sore from having his bag torn apart.

"It's going to get infected, Two-Bit." Ellie mumbled, a frown curling the corners of her mouth as she fidgeted.

They watched in relative silence as Two-Bit grabbed a bowl from the kitchen, cracked open the pen, and tapped the ink out into a shiny black puddle. Unlike most of the room, Dallas was more curious to see if he would go through with it and less anxious on the hazards it entailed.

"What're you gonna do?" Dally asked.

Two-Bit hadn't thought about it. He sat up and dug around in his brain for any image that would be worth etching into his skin for all eternity. "Well, I can't do a skull. I don't want the same thing as Bradley..."

Dallas was going to offer up suggestions, but he made the fatal choice in letting his gaze drift to Ellie and her disapproving pout. He held back a groan.

Without anyone else's help, Two-Bit had deflated. He fell down onto the couch, his makeshift tattoo needle still clutched in his hand. Taking pity, Steve got up and brought him a cold beer. That did the trick; in a few seconds the eighteen year old was back on his feet and hassling Pony for another pen.

"I won't have any left for school." He grumbled.

Two-Bit hovered the pen over the stretch of skin on his forearm just after his elbow. Then he turned to Ellie with big, pleading eyes. "Will you draw it for me? You're so good at drawin' things in art class." He asked in a soft, childlike voice. "Please, Princess?"

"Don't you 'Princess' me." Ellie huffed, crossing her arms over her chest. "I'm not helping you ruin your body. You know these things are permanent, right? No-one will hire you if you've got a crappy tattoo on your arm. It'll ruin your life-"

Two-Bit rolled his eyes. "Ellie, I'm an eighteen year old taking junior classes in high school. I don't think a tattoo is gonna ruin anything that hasn't already been ruined."

Ellie turned to glare at the ink in the bowl sitting on the coffee table. Dallas nearly laughed out loud. One only had to mention a pathetic aspect of their lives and Ellie would turn as soft as butter. Two-Bit had beaten her.

"Fine!" She hissed, rounding the table so that she was face to face with him. "You'll need thread, a clean, wet rag, and tape too."

Soda went to follow Ellie's instructions as she twisted Two-Bit's arm up to see her canvas. "What do you want?"

Two-Bit used his other hand to whip out his pride and joy: a long, black-handled switchblade. "This. I want my switchblade on my forearm."

Ellie made a face, wiped down the surface with the wet rag, and started her sketch. "You're such a Greaser, Keith Matthews."

"To the bone, Elizabeth Carter." Two-Bit shot back, sticking his tongue out at her. Ellie finished her drawing. It spanned only a quarter arm and was a near perfect replica of his blade, minus the finer details. Even as a template, Dallas had to admit it looked pretty tuff.

Grabbing a lighter that had been left on the table, Ellie ran the needle under the flames until it was red. Once it had cooled, she wrapped a tight bandage of thread around it, leaving only the very tip exposed. Then she taped the base to keep it all together and handed it back to Two-Bit.

"What?" He asked, blinking. "You ain't going to do it?"

Ellie scowled. "No! And I only helped you because if I didn't it would turn out all wrong, not to mention infected! But I'm not sitting here for an hour stabbing at you, that's for sure."

When she was done telling him off she went to sit beside Johnny, who gave her a pat on the back as she stewed in irritation. The rest of them crowded around Two-Bit as Soda began the first pricks along Ellie's sketch.

"Does it hurt?" Ponyboy tore his eyes away to see Two-Bit's expression. His eyebrows were furrowed, but there were no more obvious signs of pain.

"Feels...weird."

Steve cracked a grin. "He just doesn't want to admit he's gonna cry."

Ellie caved in half-way through. She didn't drop the sour expression, but she did come over to watch the process with the rest of the boys. It a little gross to watch Soda stabbing him with the contraption she had created; it looked like something someone would make during a very boring Home Economics class.

"Hey, can I get one next?" Steve asked.

Dallas nodded. "Me too."

He thought Ellie would give them the same, long-winded argument she had given Two-Bit, but she just sighed and grabbed the pen.

"No warnings?" Dallas asked as Steve took of his grass-stained shirt. "Where's your big speech about the dangers of stick-n'-pokes?"

"No one listens to me anyway." She watched Steve lift his arm and point to his ribs, ignoring his shiver a she wiped the surface down with a rag. Dally doubted it would help fight infection, but it seemed to make her feel better. "Where do you want it?"

"Get a switchblade! We should all get the same thing!" Two-Bit insisted, and Soda had to jerk back to keep from mis-poking him. He noticed their doubtful expressions and added, "Oh, come on! What about brotherhood? We're a gang, aren't we? Boys that get unsanitary, home-made tattoos together, stay together!"

"I want one too." Soda had one eye shut and the other hovering intently over his project. "Just a small one."

"A switchblade?" Two-Bit pressed.

Dallas couldn't think of anything else he would want engraved in his skin. "I'll get one."

"Fine then." Steve consented, lifting his arm to grip the back of his head and allow Ellie full access to his side. "Make it as long as... a hand, will ya'?"

"_Please_ and _thank you_." Ellie began to shape the handle a few inches below his arm-pit. "You need a shower, Steve."

Steve nudged his offending area closer to Ellie's face and she squealed, flinging the pen at his face in retaliation. He snagged the pen, let out a loud cackle and muttered, "_Girls_."

Ellie turned to pout at Dallas. Dallas smacked Steve over the head.

"Watch it," He grumbled, "She's the only thing between you and a heart tattoo with 'I love Mom' inside."

Steve rubbed his head with his elevated hand. "I almost forgot you two were dating. You gonna let Dallas fight all your battles now, Els?"

"Well, who else would?" She pulled away, finished her replica of Two-Bit's blade. She was a genuinely good artist- something Dallas felt like he should have known. It was nothing amazing, and Pony's worst art could blow her's out of the water, but when she drew something it came out as it should. He couldn't remember the last time he even pressed a pen to paper, let alone draw. But he know he wasn't good at it. If he had been good at art, he would still be doing it.

Dallas was sitting on the couch beside Steve while Ellie crouched in front of them.

She stood and let out the kind of smile an exasperated mother would give her to troublesome child. "Now it's your turn."

He grabbed the back of his shirt and tugged it over his head.

Two-Bit let out a chuckle, laughing at a joke he had yet to make. "Woah there, cowboy! Don't get too excited. I think she just mean't it's your turn to get drawn on, not a tussle in bed."

All confidence drained out of Ellie at his words. Her face steadily reddening, she let her gaze fall somewhere between the living room carpet and the pen she fiddled with in her hand. Dallas had found the comment amusing, mostly because it made Ellie so flustered. But it wasn't going to earn him any favors to laugh.

He hid his smile and tugged her into his lap, resting a hand on her upper thigh. To Two-Bit, he said, "How would you like a nice Indian burn over that tat, Matthews?"

Two-Bit opened his mouth, a rebuttal already on his tongue. A stern look from Darry stopped him.

"Would you talk to your sister like that?" He asked, sounding frighteningly similar to his late father. Two-Bit must have noticed the resemblance as well; he sobered and shook his head. "Then shut up."

Two-Bit made a long, sulky face that expressed his un-trampled humor. "Yessir. Sorry, Princess. Sometimes I forget you aren't one of the guys."

Darry rolled his eyes and wandered into the kitchen.

"It's fine." Ellie offered him a small, forgiving smile. Her face was the shade of a tomato and she was having a hard time looking anyone in the eye.

Ellie was transparent. He could have thought this came with being a Soc, but then again, most Socs he had encountered had cold, un-penetrable exteriors as thick as his own. No, this was a trait that was uniquely Ellie's. Which made things easy for Dally, who never had any skills in the art of understanding girls. As long as he had a clear view of her face, he never had to guess what she was feeling or thinking. When she had a crush on him, he knew almost immediately. When he had come home at the end of summer, he could pin-point the exact moment she had forgiven him. Even if Ellie had wanted to hide from him, she couldn't. Every lie that fell from her lips was an awkward, stuttering tribute to her innocence.

It would be easy to assume Ellie was blushing due to the innuendo in Two-Bit's comment. In a way, it would be correct. But she wasn't blushing because they had innsinuated they had sex. She was blushing because he had insinuated they had sex and they _hadn't_. Dallas was confused; most girls wore their chastity like a badge of honor. Not to mention she was the one always telling him to stop. Was she upset that he hadn't forced himself on her yet? He doubted it.

Darry came back with two beers, passing one to Two-Bit as an unspoken peace offering.

Dallas scratched above his collarbone. "Right here."

Ellie started on her third sketch just as Soda finished. He wiped away the excess ink and blood, revealing a patch of swollen, red skin. Like a constillation, a thousand black dots formed Two-Bit's signature switchblade, officially carved into his skin for life.

Johnny poked the black handle. "You can see all the prick points."

"Can I get one too?" Pony asked, staring up at his eldest brother hopefully.

"No."

He pointed to Sodapop, who had joined the rest of them as they watched the beginnings of the battle play out. "Soda's allowed to get one!"

"Soda is old enough to make his own decisions." Darry replied, his eyes as cold and dangerous as black ice. Nothing could flare his temper like the youngest Curtis.

"Then when will I be old enough?" Ponyboy's voice rose in an anger that he hadn't quite learned to control. "When I'm Soda's age? When I've satisfied everyone's expectations? When I'm finished college? When I'm thirty and married to a broad of your approval? _Then_ can I start living my own damn life?"

"Pony-" Soda started hesitantly, but it was too late. Ponyboy had worked himself into a fury that only time alone could subdue. He stormed through the front door.

There was a beat of silence as they listened to his footsteps fade down the front lawn.

"That boy needs a hug." Two-Bit muttered, staring at his arm.

"Shut up." Darry muttered to him again. He leaned against the side of the couch near Two-Bit and rolled up his sleeve. "Gimme one on my arm."

Soda stared up at him with his face scrunched up like he wanted to argue but knew it would do no good. Eventually he yielded, turning to Steve to start his tattoo.

Ellie's pen both scraped and tickled the thin skin above Dally's collarbone as she formed the long blade. When she lifted her face he could see her tongue briefly peeking out from between her lips.

"You want one?" She asked Johnny.

He shook his head, his gaze drifting toward the door. "Naw, I'm in enough pain as it is."

Steve's tattoo was the biggest, and Ellie was finished both Dally's and Darry's trace long before Soda had even finished the outline. Outside, the sun was drifting down behind a row of houses and the air was cooling considerably. To speed up the process, Ellie fashioned a second needle so Two-Bit could help.

Dallas hadn't really thought about his decision until he felt the ink soaked needle press against his collarbone. After an agonizing moment of resistance he felt a sharp sting and the needle had penetrated the first few layers of his skin. His brow furrowed. It wasn't the worst pain he'd endured; he'd been knifed, had snapped nearly every bone in his body, burnt, beaten, and had gotten his jaw broken by a tire-iron. But those had been quick and numbing, at least while the adrenalin was still rushing through him. But it was different to be sitting there in complete stillness, having nothing to focus on than the sliver of blackened metal drilling lines into his skin. Dallas felt irritated and antsy, nearly grabbing the needle out of Two-Bit's hand to insist he finish it himself.

He shut his eyes and tried to concentrate on the softness of Ellie's voice, a never-ending sound as she chatted idly with the boys. When he opened them again she was giggling at the television with Johnny and Two-Bit had finished the tattoo.

Dallas got up. The thought of sitting there any longer made him crazy. "I'm gonna go."

Ellie jerked her attention away from the television as if she had been shocked. "Where?"

"To the store." Dallas replied without much thought. He tugged on his shirt. "Buck hasn't bought any groceries and I better buy some 'fore he lets us starve to death."

"Can I come?" Ellie asked, looking up at him as if she wasn't really sure if Dallas could run errands without also causing havoc.

Dallas stuck his hand out and pulled her up from the couch.

"You comin' home for dinner?" Johnny asked her as they inched towards the door.

Ellie smiled. "Don't you mean, am I coming home to _cook_ dinner?"

"...Same thing."

She barely had enough time to say 'yes' before Dallas was hauling her out onto the porch, his apprehension getting the better of him. He rushed onto the road, ignoring the sidewalk as he paced steadily down the center. The Curtis' house was pretty far into the suburbs of the east side, and there wasn't many cars passing by. Ellie had to jog to catch up, grabbing his hand to drag him back to her pace. He pulled away and swung his arm over her shoulder instead.

"What's up with you?" She asked, trying to catch his eye. "Does the tattoo hurt? We can get some disinfectant to keep it-"

With an eye-rolling, exasperated look, Dallas put his hand over her mouth to shut her up. "It doesn't hurt."

She tried to wretch his hand away but he held firm, amused by her how weak her fight was and how irritated she grew every second. She struggled for a few steps before wisening up- a pair of teeth sunk into the joint of his thumb, barely hard enough to hurt. He released her with a chuckle.

"Your hand tastes like dirt and sweat." Ellie grumbled, tugging out of his grasp totally. Lady was at the gate as they passed her house and and he watched with a sharp gaze as she came by the fence to pat her pet on the head as they walked by. Dallas flexed the sore muscles in his arm, clenching and releasing his fist. He could feel the absence in the space she had occupied like a gust of winter wind, gnawing at his ribs. It was pride, he liked to believe, that made him tuck his hands into his jeans and wait for her to come back on her own accord. There was no way in hell he'd call for her himself- the aching neediness she had instilled in him was enough of a punishment as it was.

He walked past Ellie with his gaze to the concrete and his mind far away. When he turned back to look for her she was skipping the gap that had formed between them. Her hair was tossing gently around her shoulders, sun-kissed arms swaying to propel her forward. She had that damn smile on her face; wide and dimpled and happy.

"You're looking at me funny." Ellie stated as she tucked her arm through his. "Do I have ink on my face?"

Dallas stared at the road ahead. "Yeah, everywhere."

"You're very mean, you know?" Ellie retorted, giving him a nudge so that they were both teetering to the side.

"How could I not, when you remind me every day?" Dallas leaned back on her enough to trip her. She would have stumbled to the road of he hadn't caught her around the waist at the last minute. Now it was his turn to smirk. "If I was mean, I would have let you smash your face into the cement."

Ellie straightened, her lips pressed into a thin, un-amused line. "Should I be thanking you?"

"Well," He skimmed the tips of his fingers along her side. "You can do other things to show your appreciation."

"Like punch you in the face?"

"I'd like to see you try!" Dallas exclaimed, entertained by her snarky answer. There was no way Ellie could leave anything but a scratch on him. Not because she was a girl, because he had always been smart enough to know girls could do a hell of a lot more damage than any man. But Ellie was hardly five feet tall and made purely of soft muscle and thin skin and Dallas- well, he was a well-seasoned fighter. Anyway, he'd be surprised if she could _reach_ his face.

She crossed her arms over her chest, matching his smirk. "Then I'll show you!"

Dallas faltered in his stride and then came to a full stop. He turned fully to her, examining the stubborn tilt of her chin and the lightening shimmering in her orbs. She was rarely so headstrong.

He took a few steps back before gesturing to his body, allowing himself to be completely undefended. "Go on."

Ellie must not have expected him to react that way. She wavered in spot, her expression falling away in her hesitation. "I-I don't want to hurt you."

"You won't." Dallas moved back and uncrossed her arms. He helped her form a fist in her right hand, then tilted it up so that she would only need to swing in order to hit him in the chin. He locked gaze with her and said in a purposely patronizing tone, "Do it."

"I-I-!" Ellie bit her lip and furrowed her brows, that lightning flashing once more in her eyes. "I really will, Dallas!"

She wouldn't and he knew it. Dallas gripped the back of her head with one hand and made his own fist in the other, leveling it with her face. "I'm going to count to three and if you haven't swung by then, I'll break your goddamn nose."

She huffed, lowering her arm. "Dallas-"

"One...two...th-"

Dallas never had any intention of hitting her. He could be rough and crude to women, but to put a hand on a girl without her consent, sexual or violent, was unthinkable. He was a hood and a criminal, but he wasn't a _monster_.

But Dallas figured Ellie knew that, or else she wouldn't have let him even begin to start his count. He never managed to prove it to her, however. Before he could lower her hand, she had taken control.

His eyes had instinctively shut, fully expecting to feel the tell-tale impact along his jaw and then the sharp pain that always accompanied it. But it never came. Ellie tossed herself onto his solid frame, arms curling around his neck as she pressed a fervent kiss against his lips. It wasn't what he had expected, but it was far more welcoming than a bruise. He let out a sigh of contentment; all the strings of tension that had been tangling in him since the tattoo unraveled, as if she had reached into his chest and untangled them with gentle fingers. His clenched fist uncurled and went to the small of her back, crushing her tightly against him.

"I'm not going to hit you, you psycho." Ellie breathed as they pulled apart. She kept her hands on his neck, thumbs brushing against his earlobes. "I can't believe you just tried to pick a fight with a girl. Am I supposed to expect a lot of this in our relationship?"

"I do like fiesty broads." Dallas shrugged, holding back from kissing her again. If they kept at it he wouldn't want to stop and they'd be standing in the middle of the road all night.

"I'll keep that in mind." She replied dryly, untangling from him. Her hand went to his as they continued down the road, her gaze fixed on the passing houses. "I haven't been down here before. Where the heck are you taking me?"

Dallas groaned inwardly. His mind raced with ideas on how to discreetly distract his hand without offending Ellie. He just couldn't do it; holding hands was one of those odd, affectionate gestures she insisted on making- in public, without any mind to the hundreds of other people watching them.

Ellie let out a giggle, catching his attention.

"What?" He grumbled, running his free fingers through his hair, raking the lightly-greased locks back into position. They were headed onto the main road; just past it was a small grocery store. It was a frequent spot for the lower-class, most of the food being near expiration with correspondingly cheaper prices. The wide expanse of parking lot was also a common hang-out for younger Greasers under thirteen. The youngest ones were always standing by the doors, trying to persuade the softer mothers to buy them candy.

Ellie pressed the back of his captured hand to her navel, beaming up at him. "Most of the time I can't tell what you're feeling, but if you think you're hiding your embarrassment, you're wrong. I can _feel_ you trying to shake me off."

Dallas scowled and tugged his hand from her to swing it back over her shoulder. This gesture he could deal with. It was more of a possessive statement than... an awkward declaration of devotion. He tried not to gag. "If you knew then why didn't you say anything?"

"For this reason exactly!" She shifted under his arm's weight, a hand on his wrist. "What's your problem, anyway? What's so horrible about holding my hand?"

"Nothing." Dallas growled, watching for cars as they cut through the main road. No one seemed to be out that day. "Just never walked around holding anyone's hand before. Don't really want to start, either."

She scoffed disbelievingly. "Not even your mom's when you were a little kid?"

Dally's silence said more than any words could. He stared ahead at the entrance of the store, watching a woman wrestle her young toddler into a shopping cart. She was pretty and blonde, using gentle words rather than force to coax her son. The connection between the scene and Ellie's words didn't escape Dallas. He couldn't remember his mother; didn't have a clue whether she was dead or just gone, but it was irrelevant. He didn't miss her- he didn't even know her. She could have been kind and loving, but more likely she was just as selfish and cruel as his father. At some point in his life his parent's absence became more of a fact than a tragedy.

He felt Ellie's hand on his back as she tucked herself tighter against his frame. "What about Sylvia, then? You never held her hand?"

"The only time I was touching Sylvia is when I planned to fuck her."

"Dallas!" Ellie's tender voice had sky-rocketed at her indignation. "Gross- Hey, there's Ponyboy!"

Pony was walking through the grocery store doors with Curly Shepard, looking no worse for wear. He was chewing on a sour candy, but Dallas was almost positive neither boy had money. A quick glance at their pockets told him that they had been stealing.

"Should we bother him?" Ellie asked quietly. Pony hadn't noticed them despite being only a few meters away.

Dallas shook his head. "Naw, he's probably still pissy about the tattoos. Let him go."

She nodded and pulled them to the side to let a woman with two arguing daughters pass. Then she unhooked his arm from around her and tangled their fingers together again.

"I just-" Dallas tried to tug away but she held firm and sent him a stubborn glare.

"Quit fighting me." She snapped, "Holding hands is normal and if you really liked me you'd let me have this one thing."

They paused to enjoy the blast of cool air that met them through the entrance. After spending the whole day in the sun, Dallas couldn't imagine a better feeling.

"Fine." He was too tired for fight her any longer, knowing she'd win either way. "But don't think I won't get you back for this."

Dallas watched Ellie straighten, a proud smirk fluttering across her face. "You could always try punching me again."

"Shut up." He growled, pinching her nose.

The store was clean and brightly lit. A few rows of sparsely filled isles greeted them from behind a barrier of cashiers.

Ellie rubbed her nose. "So what'd you need to buy again?"

"Oh." Dallas had forgotten the lie he had told to get out of the Curtis' house. "Fuck."

* * *

**Hi everyone! Thank you so much for the wonderful reviews! Glad to see so many people are still so invested in this story! I know this one's pretty short but I just wanted to take a break and focus on the relationship of the gang as a whole for once. Hope you liked it? I know the gang never gets matching tattoos but this story is pretty AU and I figured I could do whatever the heck I wanted at this point. Also threw in some Dallas/Ellie int here! It's been kind of hard to write them as an actual couple, so I hope you guys aren't bored with them now that they're together? And I thought Dallas being worried about Johnny was adorable and not too far fetched considering he's been known to have a huge soft-spot for him...**

**Anyway! Thanks again for your reviews! I love hearing your opinions and know you're all supporting my decisions in this story. Hopefully I don't disappoint, no matter what I do...**

**Sorry for taking so long to update as well. I've been taking extra shifts at work so it's been hard to find time where I'm not too tired to write.**

**Love you all to the moon and back! See you next chapter!**


	26. For The Nights I Can't Remember

26.

It was nearly five in the morning when Ellie stirred from her sleep. She was burrowed in her down comforter, fortified inside a nest of equally soft pillows. The nights had been growing colder and colder with every passing day, but inside her cocoon she was enveloped in warmth. There was little that could drag her from that bliss... except for the heavy creak of her bedroom door as it slid open.

"You don't have a key to the house." She mumbled, peaking over the edge of her blanket. The room was tinted in the beginnings of a sunrise, painting all surfaces in a gentle blueish grey.

Dallas grabbed the bedpost to keep steady as he kicked off a pair of muddy boots. "You left the door unlocked, idiot."

Ellie watched in growing trepidation as he stripped off his leather jacket and t-shirt. He built well for a young man; not bulky like a football player but sturdy and artfully muscled like the equestrian he was. Her eyes followed the trails of scars and burns that littered his body, then to the fresh tattoo above his collarbone. It was still too dark to see properly, but she was relieved to find it clean and un-swollen.

Dallas pushed the blanket aside, baring her shoulder to the cold.

"Dally!" She whined, shifting deeper into the covers where the warmth was still abundant. He threw the barrier of pillows to the other side of the bed and slipped in beside her. A waft of cigarettes and liquor accompanied him, musky and comforting.

Dallas tugged her tight against his broad chest and burrowed his face in her neck. "You're so fucking warm."

Ellie felt like she was hugging an iceberg, his fingers like freshly falling snow along her spine. When she reached up to pet his hair she found it damp. Was it raining outside? She couldn't hear any pitter-pattering against her window.

"Where have you been?" She questioned, eyes drifting shut as she slowly succumbed to sleepiness.

His breath was like dragon fire against her neck. "None'a your business."

"Where you with Two-Bit?"

There was no rely. His chest rose and fell in a steady rhythm. Was he asleep?

"Steve?... Tim Shepard?"

She scraped a few fingernails across Dally's scalp, targeting a specific area above the nape of his neck.

He growled low and fisted the back of her shirt. "Shut up, will ya'?"

Ellie noted the slur in his words and realized he was drunk. Dallas was a delinquent and she knew that, but it didn't stop the uncertainty that sat low in her stomach. It all seemed so pointless. He didn't have to hang out with the gangs he hung out with. He didn't have to rob stores or instigate fights. He certainly didn't have to disappear all night and come back drunk. A frown tugged at her lips.

"I worry about you." She sent the words into the morning air and immediately wished she could reel them back in.

Dallas brought his head from under her chin to bring it level with her's. The hand that he had on her back drifted down over her rear and along her thigh.

"Don't you worry about me." Dallas demanded, "It won't do any of us any good and I'll still be doing the things I do no matter what."

Ellie nibbled on her lip, trying in vain to decipher his expression. With a sigh and a nod, she closed her eyes again.

Dallas shifted closer until their noses brushed. "I'm taking you out night."

"...Okay." Ellie bit her lip to hold back a smile. He was teasing her, his lips only inches away. But she didn't make a move to close the distance.

Dally's fingers crept back up her thigh and under the hem of her underwear.

"Dallas!" She scolded loudly, just as her alarm filled the room with a loud buzz.

* * *

Ellie tugged a pair of white knee-highs over her calves as she hopped into the hallway, brushing a mop of hair out of her face as she straightened.

"Johnny, hurry up!" She smacked the flat of her palm against the bathroom door repeatedly. "We have to leave in twenty minutes and I still need to do my hair and brush my teeth!"

She waited for a moment. Lord and Lady were curled up together by the stairs and they barely lifted their heads at her presence. Ellie turned back to the door and smacked it again. "Johnny! What're you _doing_?"

There was a scuffing sound behind her and she turned around. Johnny was standing in front of his bedroom in pajamas, rubbing his eye with a knuckle. "What are _you_ doing?"

"Oh!" Ellie blinked at him. Then she turned back to the door and turned the handle, wincing as it slid open without resistance.

"Dumbass." Johnny snorted.

She snatched a ribbon from a bowl by the sink and followed Johnny as he retreated back inside his room. A scattering of clothes littered the floor, a mixture of hand-me-downs from the gang with a few new articles that Ellie had demanded they buy.

"You only have a few minutes to get ready and eat breakfast." She reminded him, staring wearily at his pajama shirt.

Johnny fell face first into his unmade bed, mumbling into his pillow.

"What?" Ellie asked, pulling the top half of her brunette hair and securing it with a white ribbon. She approached the bed and sat beside him as he mumbled more words. "Johnny, what the heck are you saying?"

He groaned loudly. Sighing, Ellie grabbed his arm and used all her strength to turn him over.

He slung an arm over his eyes. "I've decided I don't want to go to school."

"Johnny Cade," Ellie pulled his arm away and forced him to lock eyes with her. "You either get out of bed and get dressed, or I'll wake Dally and he can do it for you. It's your choice."

"Dally's here?" Johnny asked with a cheeky grin. "He spend the night?"

Ellie poked his side and he let out a reluctant laugh, wiggling out away from her fingers.

"He spent the morning." She explained, "And nothing happened... Johnny, get up already! You have ten minutes!"

She got up and grabbed his limp wrists to tug Johnny into a sitting position, but he was too heavy and she nearly fell instead.

"I'm not kiddin', Els." He grumbled to the ceiling. "School started a month ago and I haven't gone to one class. If by some miracle they decide to let me pass the grade, I'll still have to struggle through hours of catching up. Not to mention-"

"-Work." Ellie finished for him, crossing her arms. She could see his turmoil in the bags under his eyes and the heavy rise and fall of his chest. He was disguising sighs with breathing. "Johnnycake, please sit up."

He did so with great reluctance. She sat back down beside him and grabbed his hand.

"Listen," She demanded gently as he locked gaze with the floorboards. "You don't have to go to school. I'm not your mother so I can't force you into anything. But I think you should go. I think you'll regret it if you don't. School is something every average teenager has to go through and though your life hasn't been exactly normal, this is one thing you can still hold on to..." Ellie let out a sheepish chuckle. "That's the way I see it, anyway."

She got up, straightened the skirt of her checkered dress, and took a deep breath to try and cast away the weight in her chest.

"You still have a few more minutes if you want to get dressed." Ellie headed towards the doorway but couldn't leave before casting him one last somber look. "I won't think any less of you for dropping out, but I always thought Johnny Cade was destined for something bigger than that."

Ellie was munching on an apple when Johnny came down the stairs. His shirt was dirty and covered in white dog hair and his jeans had a small hole forming in one knee, but Ellie was just glad to see him up.

"You better hide that smile before I crawl back into bed." He grabbed the fruit from her hand and took a bite that tore nearly a quarter off.

Shrugging innocently, Ellie grabbed the bag of dog food from the pantry and brought it with her as they passed the front door. By the foot of the stairs before the sidewalk sat four big bowls for the dogs. She filled two up with kibble while Johnny filled the other two with water from the hose, holding the apple in his mouth with his teeth. Lord was nipping at his legs, begging for a drink, before Johnny could even put the bowl down. Ponyboy came out of his house as Ellie ran back in to grab her bag from the kitchen table, and then they were on their way to school.

* * *

"I heard she's slept with _all _of them... you know, that gang of boys she's always following around."

"I know she's been sleeping with the one with that small kid. Rebecca saw them doing it behind the bleachers."

"That's so gross!" There was a high-pitched giggle. "While she was dating Ben? That's not a surprise."

Ellie set her jaw and began undoing the buttons of her gym suit. Her locker was swung open, hiding her face from the trio of girls standing on the other side of the bench. The change room attached to the gym was overwhelmed with noise from the shower, slamming doors, and the smacking of basketballs outside, but she didn't have any problem hearing their chatter. It was almost as if they wanted her to.

"I bet she's _still _sleeping with all of them. Those kinds of girls are interchangeable to Greasers, if you know what I mean. They all just go around taking turns."

She slipped her dress over her head and pulled the zipper up, flipping her hair over the collar. She couldn't see them, but she knew who they were. Lora, whom she had met when Ben had taken her on their first group date, and another girl named Patty had been using their change room time to exchange wild gossip every day since the beginning of the year. Ellie had even been invited into the conversation a few times while she was dating Ben. That had ended the moment she _became_ the gossip.

"I heard she's started shacking up with the small kid." Lora added with a disgusted scoff. "I wonder how Winston is taking it."

Ellie could image the faux-empathy on Patty's face. "Do you think he... hit her or something?"

She wanted to go up and say something equally as hurtful, but what? There seemed to be nothing that could bring them down. Both girls were beautiful, wealthy, and popular- perfection, if there was such a thing. They were mean, but in their circle it was more of a quality than a flaw. Ellie sat down on the bench to untie her sneakers and slip on her knee-highs and flats. From that position she could see that Alice was with them as well, though she hadn't said anything yet. Her face tightened as their eyes locked. Ellie held it for a moment, letting Alice know she had heard every word, before she stood back up to put her gym suit back on it's hook.

"I won't be surprised if she's pregnant by the end of the month." Lora giggled as they passed her towards the exit. Ellie placed her shoes on the metal bottom of the locker, her gym socks bundled inside, and then gently closed the door. She made sure to wait a few seconds until they were out of her line of vision before she started on her way out as well.

Her heel crunched against something metal on the floor. Ellie crouched down and picked up a set of keys dangling from a little blue-jeweled owl key chain. She had seen it numerous times when she was still friends with Alice. Biting her lip, she rolled the tiny owl around between the pads of her fingers.

"Excuse me!" Ellie called, hurrying through the door of the change room and into the gym. Lora, Penny and Alice were following the wall to get to the exit leading into the hallway. "Alice!"

All three of them turned around as she approached, their expressions ranging from irritation to discomfort. Alice gripped her elbows and inched closer to Lora as Ellie caught up to them.

"You dropped this." She said, holding the keys out.

Alice hesitated, eyes wide like a deer caught in headlights. She reached out and grabbed the key without letting her fingers touch Ellie. Then her lips parted briefly and they locked gazes again; for a moment she seemed to want to say thank you... or perhaps apologize... but then Lora wound her hand around Alice's arm and gave her a sharp tug.

"Come on, Alice. We have to hurry." She snapped, with rouge lips pursed. Her hazel eyes breezed past Ellie as if she was just another scuff mark on the floor of the gym.

Ellie hadn't noticed Johnny until he put his hand on her shoulder. He looked worried.

"Two-Bit's been telling me you're getting harassed by some of the Soc girls." He mumbled, "You... you want me to do something about it?"

A smile spread across her face as they made their way into the hall. "What're you going to do? Beat them up? It's okay, really. They'll forget about me in a month or so."

"Yeah..." Johnny readjusted the pencil he had stuck behind his ear. "Sure."

Ellie looped her arm through his in her usual manner. "Anyway, how was your day so far?"

He shrugged. "Good... but I keep having to dodge questions about some sort of ski accident I was in."

"Oh, yeah... sorry about that." Ellie winced. "It sounded like a good excuse at the time."

"Ellie, there isn't even a skii resort in all of Oklahoma!"

* * *

After school Johnny followed Ponyboy to the library to catch up on the month's worth of school work he had fallen behind on. With the house to herself, Ellie spent the rest of the evening in one of her old button-up dresses, scrubbing the whole house down and giving it a good, thorough cleaning. She hadn't done it since her grandmother's passing and the amount of grime she found would have sent her mother reeling. But then again, anything Ellie had done since arriving in Tulsa would have sent her mother reeling.

She glanced out the window as she wiped the dining room table down with _Pine-Sol._ The back and front yard needed a good mowing, and the fence was starting to sag a little by the gate where all the boys could be found leaning over to feed scraps to the dogs. They needed fixing if she wanted to have a nice house, but truthfully Ellie didn't feel the need to care anymore. Ever since her mother had stopped answering calls and the Socs had cast her away, it felt as if all connections to that perfect, upper-class life had been cut. Who would she be trying to impress with a nice new fence and clean yard? She was an east-sider now- a poor kid with bigger worries than how long the grass was growing.

Yet here she was, cleaning the dining room that she had never used.

Ellie sat down on one of the chairs and peeled off her dish gloves. She had been indifferent to the empty house a few minutes ago, but now the lack of noise was making her uncomfortable. Even the dogs were outside, shading themselves under the tree at the far end of the backyard. It felt heavy and suffocating, like she was being dragged down to the bottom of the ocean.

The doorbell rang and she let out a breath she hadn't known she was holding. Getting up, she capped the bottle of _Pine-Sol, _grabbed her gloves, and raced to put it all under the kitchen sink. Whoever was at the door was incessantly ringing the bell, scattering the silence that had been strangling her moments before. Ellie was both relieved and annoyed.

"Hello?" She swung open the door, leaving the screen as a barrier between her and the unknown.

But it was only Dallas, leaning his shoulder against the frame and grinning impudently down at her. "Hey good-lookin', what's your name?"

Ellie raised a brow at him. "What are you doing?"

"I'm _trying_ to pick you up." He reached up with both hands and tugged at his leather jacket collar with all the arrogance he could possess. "I figured I'd give you the whole 'Dallas Winston experience'."

"Oh?" She hummed, smiling bemusedly. "So Dallas Winston often goes up to stranger's doors in hopes that a girl will answer it?"

"That's a technicality."

Ellie laughed and nodded, straightening up to take on her new role. "Well Mister Winston, my name's Elizabeth but my friends call me Ellie."

Dallas winced. "God, don't call me Mister Winston. I sound like a fifty-year old pervert."

"Are you going to try and pick me up or what?" She asked, rolling her eyes. She flung open the screen door and moved aside to let him in.

"What, you'd let an old man into your house?" He asked as he passed her. "You got a thing for wrinkles?"

She followed him into the newly cleaned kitchen. Opening a cupboard, she pulled out two glasses and set them on the counter. Dallas sat down on the top of the breakfast table and watched her.

"Well, your's are just so magnificent." She poured some iced tea and handed him a glass. "Now, can I help you with anything?"

Dallas' piercing gaze roved up and down Ellie's figure. She felt her face heat up as she remembered her ratty old dress. It was at least five seasons too old and as thin and light as paper. She didn't even want to imagine what her hair looked like after an hour of scrubbing the floor, or if her skin was just as sticky and dirty as it felt.

"You sure can." He ran a knuckle up her stomach and fingered a button that rested at her navel, smiling an all-knowing grin as she ducked her head to hide a spreading blush. "How 'bout I take you out?"

Pulling herself together, Ellie gave him what she hoped was a nonchalant shrug. "I would say yes... but I already have a boyfriend and I don't think he'd be too happy to find me with another man."

"I see..." Dallas retracted his wandering hand to scratch his chin. There was stubble forming. "What's this guy like?"

Ellie didn't reply, pretending to mull his question over thoughtfully. "Well..."

"Devlishly handsome?" He supplied, "The coolest, toughest guy you've ever set eyes on?"

She placed a finger on her lip with a hum. "Oh, he's alright, I guess. Definitely not the coolest or toughest. He's actually quite a big cry baby."

Dally's eyes narrowed, his smug smile tightening in mild annoyance. "Is he now?"

"Yeah... He likes to think he's a hotshot but he's really this big baby that's crying and whining all the time- and he's always following me around 'cause he's hopeless in love. I felt so bad that when he asked me out I had to say yes."

"I see." Dallas replied. His hand went to the back of her neck and he ran his thumb down her neck to the center of her collarbone. "Sounds like the kind of guy I'd beat the crap outta'."

Ellie burst into a fit of giggles. "I'd like to see you try!"

Dallas grabbed her waist, turned her around, and gave a gentle kick to her rear. "Go put some shoes on, smart-ass."

"Shoes?" Ellie scoffed, running her fingers through her mess of hair as she followed his orders and marched down the hall. "I need a shower and a new outfit-"

"If you aren't back here in twenty minutes, I'm gonna find some other broad to take out!"

* * *

Shoulders back, arms crossed over his chest, jaw clenched, and eyes carved from the core of an iceberg, Dallas was giving her his best glare.

Ellie held her laughter back weakly as she tugged on his wrist and whined, "Come on, Dallas!"

"Just forget it, will you?" He snapped at her, "I'm not doin' it."

"I just think it's weird that I know _nothing_ about you!"

Dallas scoffed. Ellie had to back away as he unwound his arms and dug around his jacket for a cigarette. "I always thought you knew too much."

She threw a piece of popcorn at him. It bounced off of his temple before becoming lost somewhere under their feet. His glare burned tenfold.

"It must be pretty awful if you don't want to tell me." She sniffed, turning her head back to the screen a few dozen meters in front of them. The drive-in theater had become a familiar hang-out; many summer nights had been spent sneaking in to watch movies with Johnny and Pony when none of them had wanted to go home just yet. Ellie's parents had never let her go to them back in Chicago and she found herself instantly hooked on the funny little concession-stand commercials, day-old popcorn, watered-down soda, and the stink of a thousand cigarettes being lit in one area. It held a certain magic.

Ellie glanced at him through her peripherals and realized he was ignoring her.

"Dallas!" She whined again, "I won't even laugh, I promise!"

He grabbed a handful of popcorn and gestured toward the screen. "Watch the damn movie, woman!"

"Fine, but..." Placing the popcorn bag to the side, she inched closer until her shoulder pressed into his arm. "If you tell me..."

She let the sentence linger unfinished. Dally cocked an eyebrow.

"Never mind!" Ellie straightened up and turned to watch two sweaty men find a lone carriage in the middle of the desert. The movie had been playing for a few minutes but she had been too busy bothering Dallas to catch the plot. Instead she tried to focus on Clint Eastwood; at least he was still dreamy even in her state of confusion.

"Ellie..." Dallas grunted roughly, looking as if he was trying very hard not to throttle her. Ellie offered him a guilty smile and moved back to his side, lifting his arm to throw over her shoulders.

"If you won't tell me your most embarrassing moment, then I guess I'll just have to tell you mine." She paused to think, "Okay, remember when I told you I used to be in pageants?"

A Cheshire grin was beginning to form on his face. "How can I forget?"

Ellie elbowed him in the ribs. "_Anyway_, when I was first starting out, I had this big fear of being on stage. So I was- ..._Oh_."

"What?"

"That's not my most embarrassing moment." Ellie admitted, curling further into his side. "Let's just watch the movie. What's going on, anyway? Who are these guys? Is that one bad or good? Who's the ugly one? It's not Clint Eastwood-"

Dallas adjusted so that she could see his bewildered expression. "What the hell were you going to say?"

She let out a long, exaggerated sigh and tried to think of a way to avoid the conversation. It wouldn't have been so bad to tell him the pageant story, but _this_... it was too mortifying. And all Two-Bit's fault, of course! But she had been oblivious to the rascal's ways back then. Most of the memory was a drunken haze of swearing and bloody noses...and one awkward question that- even now- set her face ablaze.

Dallas dipped his head down close to hers and tried a softer, more compelling tone of voice. "If you tell me, I'll tell you what mine is..."

Ellie shrugged. "I can just ask Johnny."

"He wouldn't betray me like that." Dallas scoffed, starting up a new cigarette.

"We'll see." Ellie snatched it from his lips and rivaled his glare with a roll of her eyes. "You'll be dead before you're twenty the way you always chain-smoke."

Dally grabbed her wrist and forced her fingers to press against his lips as he stole the cigarette back. Holding her there, he lit the other end and took a deep drag. Ellie watched a quarter of it disintegrate into ashes. Though she disliked cigarettes, she had to admit that watching Dallas smoke was a thing of beauty. His cheeks caving in ever so slightly as he inhaled, the quiet sigh that accompanied a cascade of smoke from his slightly parted lips... her urge to kiss him was never so strong as it was when he had a lit cigarette between his fingers.

"Maybe... but of all the things I do, I doubt smoking will be the one to get me." Dallas let go of her wrist. The smoke still sizzling in her fingers, she let the edge of her thumb brush against his cheek. His skin was cool and surprisingly soft.

"How, then?" She asked, curiosity getting the best of her.

Dallas shrugged and turned his head to capture the cigarette again.

"Twenty is too young, anyway. Don't you want to grow old with me?" Ellie asked, their faces inches away. She would be lying to say she hadn't been nervous about this date. It wasn't a secret that teenagers liked to hook up at drive-ins, and sitting alone in a car with Dallas all night could only really lead to one thing. But she wasn't like that. No matter how far away her parents were, or how much of a greaser she liked to think of herself, there was still a part of her that wanted to hold onto that perfect life she always envisioned for herself. Dallas didn't fit into that world, nor would he ever... but there was also another side of her that wanted to throw everything away just to see that devilish smile of his.

"I don't even know if I want to spend another day with you." Dally admitted, tugging playfully on her ear. The smell of Old Spice and leather came off of him in waves. He had showered for her. She couldn't help but grin at the thought.

"Say's the man who set my car of fire so I couldn't leave." Ellie brought the cigarette back to his lips and watched greedily as he took a drag. Everything seemed to be fading away. The chatter of a few teenagers in their area; the bright tecni-color lights from the screen; the gun shots cutting through static on the speakers... Suddenly there was only the two of them alone in a dark, quiet room.

"That was before I remembered how annoying you are." Dallas flashed her a thin, cruel smile. His hand slipped between her knees and the callused pads of his fingers stroked a spark up her thigh. She captured his wrist, an involuntary gasp tumbling from her lips. Dallas muzzled it with a kiss, laughter vibrating deep in his chest.

"Jerk." Ellie sighed as she pulled away to catch her breath, only to tug him back to her a moment later. Dallas could have called her any name in the book and she wouldn't have cared. Just so long as he kept kissing her.

Dallas nipped and sucked on Ellie's lower lip, his hand drifting from between her thighs to her jaw, coercing her mouth open. She submitted under his silent demand, grasping his golden locks as his tongue slid against her's, teasing and mischievous and _ravenous_. His grip was loose but strong, and it was made clear to her that she wouldn't be able to push him away unless he let her. But she loved it. She felt frightened and trapped and she _loved_ it.

Dallas broke away to brand kisses along her jaw and neck. Seized with modesty, Ellie tried and failed to choke back her moans as he found her most sensitive spot: a spread of delicate skin just above her collarbone. She hummed, squirming as his hand went back to her thigh, breezing along until his fingers were nearly touching the band of her undergarments.

"How the hell do you smell so good?" He asked, his breath tickling her skin.

"Hm?" Ellie had trouble grasping his words. She wanted to tug Dallas closer and closer until their bodies were melded together and she could feel nothing else but him.

"Strawberries..." Dally's kisses became gentler as he traveled back up her jaw. "Jesus, it smells good."

She had to grip his jacket collar to keep herself from tipping under his weight. "I h-had a bath. It's my soap."

Dallas pulled away with a content hum, trailing a finger along her collarbone and neck where he had been roughest. She shuddered, surprised to find the skin unbearably sensitive. His grin was even more troubling.

"What?" Ellie asked, her hand moving to her neck automatically. Quicker than an alley cat, he caught her wrist and forced it down. Then, still smiling, he captured her lips in his once more. It was a slow, playful kiss; a sudden but pleasant change from his previous assault. She could nearly taste his laughter.

There was a sudden flash of light, eliminating a rainbow of colors behind Ellie's closed eyes. She thought for a moment that it might be the movie screen, or a car's headlights. But then it flashed again and she could hear loud, hyena-like laughter. Tearing away from Dallas, she blinked, clueless, at two Socs that had parked to their immediate left. They were pimply, repugnant boys that could be better described as nerds, loitering at the front of their car with their respective girlfriends. Ellie had seen them drinking before the movie had even begun, and judging by the red tinge on their faces they were good and properly sauced.

One of them was clutching a Polaroid camera and rapidly waving a fresh-made photograph.

"Yeah! Get it!" His friend was hollering at them crudely, "Come on now, don't stop on our behalf! It looked like the show was just starting!"

"Oh my _God_..." Ellie whispered, mortified as she shrunk into the leather seat. The girls were barely concealing their laughter behind their hands, standing off to the side as if they could disassociate from their boyfriends but still enjoy the scene.

Dallas didn't speak as he cracked the car door open and stepped outside. Ellie watched him walk to the other side, strolling casually between cars, his eyes fixed on something behind the boy's heads. He didn't seem very angry; maybe he'd just want to speak to them. Ellie hoped so, but there wasn't much hope for the idea. She didn't think Dallas had ever _just_ spoken to a Soc.

The one with the camera paled and jabbed his chattering friend with his elbow. "Oh fuck, John, isn't that... That's the Winston kid..."

The humor died on the other boy's face as Dallas came into full view, towering over both of them by half a foot. It turned out that Ellie hadn't needed to worry at all; the Socs hardly put up a fight. Dally stuck a hand out and the boys passed him the camera and film.

He gave one of the photographs a glance. "This one's not bad, actually. I kind of like it."

"You can keep it." One of the boys offered, inching back so that he was pressed up against the car. "Honestly, we're sorry. We didn't- we weren't thinking... we were just fooling around, right, John?"

Dallas ignored them and strolled back to the car to pass Ellie the camera and film. "Don't say I never got you anything." He joked, winking at her. Then he turned back to the Socs and Ellie could imagine the ice freezing and crackling under his skin.

"I was gonna let you off the hook," Dallas admitted, leisurely approaching them. "But then that shit spewed outta your mouth. That was some fucking pathetic grovelling, kiddo. Really, I'll be doin' you a favor, beating your asses."

Ellie crawled onto her knees, pressed up against the door of the car to see better. The girlfriends had stopped laughing and were now watching the scene unfold with as much trepidation as Ellie.

"Look, we-" The boy lifted his hands up in surrender but his friend, John, was too frightened to copy him. He looked as if he might throw up on Dally's shoes.

"Shut up." Dallas chuckled, pushing up his jacket sleeves. He gave them a lazy, unimpressed once over and squared his shoulders. "Who's first?"

The Socs shared a look. They gave off the distinct impression that they had never been in a fight before- or at least never won. The boy that had the camera opened and closed his mouth a few times, wanting to say more but knowing it would only get him into more trouble. He was a pacifist, Dallas was not, and deep down Ellie felt bad for the boy. Then they exchanged another look, one of grim understanding. It was quick, but she knew what it meant. They could try and out-run Dally and take a hit to their pride, or they could face him head on. Either way they had to except their fate.

With a loud, roaring battle cry, both Socs launched themselves at Dallas. He was caught off guard, stumbling under their combined weight.

"Dallas!" Ellie gasped, sure he was about to fall. She gripped the handle of the car as they struggled, conflicted. Should she help him? Should she go find someone to help him? There were at least a dozen Greasers in their area, some of which were acquainted with Dallas. Yet something in her insisted she keep out of his way. It wasn't her place to stop him or help him- she wasn't his mother. All she could do is be there when the dust settled.

But Ellie underestimated Dallas, and so had the Socs. He didn't fall- instead he grabbed hold of their collars, one in each hand, and used their momentum to shove them to the side. The boys tumbled to the ground, struggling as they rolled down the little hill where the cars were parked and onto the dirt road that cut between the followed them down, smiling smugly. Stopping at John, he brought back his foot and gave him a few swift kicks to the stomach. Ellie couldn't see to well with their new position hidden behind the front of the convertible, but she could hear the boy crying out with the impact and was a little sickened by the sound.

"Do something!" She realized one of the girlfriends were shouting at her. The other girl was crying, her hands over her mouth. Ellie stared back at them, baffled.

"Do something!" The girl shouted again, "He's going to kill him!"

Somehow, their hysteria calmed Ellie. The whole thing suddenly seemed over-dramatic, like she was watching a scene in a play. She stood up on the leather seat, grabbing the top of the windshield to keep steady. To the other side of her, a couple of Greasers had spotted the fight and were whooping and cheering. Eliminated by the colors on the screen, she could see Dallas with his foot on the other boys neck, laughing and saying something to him in a low, snide voice. The Socs should have taken their chances and ran.

"Dallas!" Ellie shouted, but the movie overcame her words. She called out again and he peered up.

He didn't seem happy to be interrupted. "What?"

Lifting the camera to her eye, she steadied the base with her hand and centered him in the middle of the lens. Ellie pressed the stiff button on the top of the machine. Then she crawled back into the car and sat down while the Polaroid whirred and buzzed and a little photograph slid out from the slot.

The driver-side door popped open and Dallas slid back in. There was another cigarette hanging from his lips and Ellie couldn't remember what had happened to the one she was holding.

"I need a drink." He grumbled, turning the key in the ignition. His eyes were sharp and his muscles were still tense; she could see him trying to fight his adrenalin back down.

The girlfriends were just barely helping the Socs up in front so Dallas was forced to reverse into the lane behind them. Ellie stared at them until they faded from view. "The movie isn't over yet."

"You weren't watching it either way." Dallas replied.

She pushed the lens in to compact the camera before turning it off. "Maybe I would if you hadn't started a fight."

"You didn't seem so mad about it a few seconds ago." They shared amused smiles as the car pulled into the main road. "Let's see it?"

Ellie pulled the black film away to reveal the image on the photograph. The flash had eliminated Dallas' figure. He was standing in the middle of the road, wild and grinning with his foot on the Soc's throat and his arms spread out like a strong-man. She showed it to him. "I like it. You look evil."

"I look handsome as hell." He corrected. With one hand he pulled the cigarette from his mouth and gripped the wheel. He placed the other on her thigh. "Did I ruin our date?"

"Yes." Ellie took his hand and threaded his fingers through her's. "But I don't think I really expect anything other than trouble when you're involved."

* * *

**Hi! Sorry this chapter is really short, but I just felt like I definitely needed to write a first date for Dallas and Ellie... I think after this I'll be taking some time to focus more on Johnny and his problems, but I think I gave a good glimpse of that in this chapter? I really loved writing this chapter though! I like to think this has been the most well-written in a while, which means I'm improving! Unless I'm just delusional, but whatever.**

**Also, I didn't notice until now, but it's now been over a year since I started this story! OMG! I want to thank everyone who has been there since the beginning (and even those who came a little later) and have always supported me! I know it's been a bit of a rough ride and I'm sure there have been some cringe-worthy writing moments, but you guys are _LITERALLY. THE. BEST. _I want ya'll to know that this is ALL for you. Every chapter I post is a token of my gratitude and love. I mean it. Every review or favorite or follow sets my heart pounding. I fucking love you guys. You're my Dallas to my Ellie. Goddamn.**


	27. High School

27.

Johnny could be as quiet as a mouse. It came naturally, having never been the expressive, energetic type. While some of his friends -most notably Two-Bit- could cause a scene or chat up girls as if it was as easy as the alphabet, Johnny found it more enjoyable watching them rather than participate. Pony was similar to him in that sense; he once mentioned a name for people like them but Johnny couldn't remember.

"What're you doing up?" He asked with a groggy, unused voice. Ellie turned her head and squinted at him, seeing only by the light of a small lamp sitting beside her. A clock in the kitchen ticked on and on, biting into his nerves every agonizing second. It was two in the morning.

She was on the couch with a pile of his clothes and a women's magazine spread out on the coffee table. A needle was pinched between her fingers, pulling a thin blue thread through the hem of one of Soda's jeans.

"Free labor, apparently." Ellie smiled and lifted the clothing. "If Soda rips another pair of jeans, I'm going to have to start charging him."

Johnny grabbed the pile and shifted it to the other side of the couch. He sat down and rested his head on her shoulder. "I can't sleep."

"Me neither." Ellie poked her needle through the heavy jean fabric and pulled the thread tight before starting a new stitch.

He admired the fluidity of her movement, marveling at how easy she made it look. "I'm trying to think of this word... it means something like... when you're quiet and shy?"

"A loser?"

"_No_," Johnny pinched her arm to stop her giggling. "Somethin' else... some fancy word."

"Wallflower?" She offered.

"No," He repeated, "It's when you... you keep your thoughts to yourself."

Ellie paused in her task to think. "Um... I can't think of any other word."

"Shit." Johnny sat up and stretched his arms far into the air, moaning loudly. The window beside the television was cracked open to let the sweet nighttime air inside. He dipped his head back against the couch to enjoy it, finding himself much more comfortable in Ellie's company than he did upstairs in his bedroom.

"How's work been?" She asked carefully, finishing off her stitch with a knot. Grabbing an over-sized sweater, she turned it inside out and began to fold the sleeves into a shorter length. Then she held it against his arm to see if it was correct. "You need to grow some more..." She added under her breath.

"I am growing." Johnny insisted, pinching a thin roll of fat on his stomach that hadn't been there three weeks ago. Living at Ellie's was like living in a grocery store; there was always food lying around. "Sideways, at least. Do you think I'd ever get as big as Darry?"

Ellie raised an eyebrow at his small, lanky frame and smiled at the absurdness of it. "You can always dream."

Johnny could dream about a lot of things, but growing into a tree trunk like Darry was too far out of reach for even his biggest hopes. He hadn't grown an inch since freshman year. He reached over and ran his fingers through Ellie's ponytail, happy to be at least a few inches taller than her.

"You're affectionate tonight." She mentioned, grinning at him. It was usually her that was touching him in some way, but Johnny couldn't help it this time. Coming downstairs to find her just as awake and restless gave him an odd feeling. It was like he felt full... and not just in his stomach but everywhere. From the tiniest fiber in his heart to the very tips of his fingers.

"Work's been okay." He said, remembering her previous question. "Steve's been teaching me a few things about cars. Soda spends most of his time talking to those girls always hanging around and tryin' to get me to ask one of them out."

Ellie laughed as she snipped off the excess sleeves with a pair of heavy scissors and folded over a quarter of an inch of the new length. "If you get a girlfriend you'll have to bring her over for dinner so I can meet her."

"Am I supposed to get your approval?" He asked, picking up her women's magazine and flipping through it absentmindedly. Perhaps he'd find a clue or two on the inner workings of a women's mind. Girls like Colleen Corby and Jean Shrimpton littered the pages beside articles on beauty and homemaking. He was particularly interested on one hilarious page on keeping a husband happy. "You don't believe this crap, do you?"

She peered over to examine the title of the article and rolled her eyes. "Oh, that stuff? It's all the same, anyway. 'Want to keep your husband happy? Do what he demands but _more_.'"

"Are you suddenly a feminist?" Johnny was surprised by the annoyance in her tone. "I thought you wanted to be a trophy wife."

"Just because I want to marry a rich, successful man doesn't mean I won't think that rich, successful man is an idiot that can make his own damn sandwich."

"I'll let Dallas know." Johnny joked, flipping to the next page to thoroughly investigate three girls modeling bikinis on the beach. He 'ought to bring some of these magazines up to his room next time he had trouble sleeping... for research, of course.

Ellie gathered closer to the lamp so that she could thread the needle. "I wasn't really talking about Dally... do you think we'd actually ever make it that far? To marriage, I mean."

"I don't know..." He tried to picture them together; Dallas coming home from his steady, nine to five job with Ellie and their brood of children already sitting at the dinner table. But they looked too young to have kids and no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't picture Dallas without a miserable scowl on his face. Then Johnny tried to imagine them apart. Ellie with some old, fat business man that none of them knew or trusted. She'd live far away in some bustling city like New York or Seattle, or back home in Chicago, and they'd hear from her a few times over the years and then not at all. And Dallas? Where would he be? Still racing? Or in prison? Dead by then, most likely. All this time Johnny had been worried about Dallas ruining Ellie, he hadn't thought that maybe she'd be good for _him_.

"I hope you get married." He decided, "At least then nothing will really change and you'll always be around."

Ellie turned back to look at him, perplexed. "What do you mean? Do you think Dally is the reason I spend time with all of you?"

Johnny shook his head. "No, but I think if you two broke up, you wouldn't want to anymore. You'd stop hanging out with us at lunch and pretend you were too busy with school or something."

"I would not!" Ellie huffed, her confusion quickly twisting into indignation.

Johnny turned back to the magazine and tried to focus on the words. "That's what you did when Dally took off and you started dating that football player."

Ellie opened her mouth to protest but the truth of his words hit her before anything could come out. She looked ashamed. "I-I... I know. But-"

There was a quiet squeal as the screen door was pushed open. They hopped to their feet, Ellie wielding her pair of scissors.

"I swear," She said in a shaky whisper, her eyes trained to the front door. "If that's Dallas sneaking in again, I'm going to kill him."

But it wasn't Dallas. A few agonizing moments later, Pony had his face pressed up against the open window by the television. "Johnny! Let me in before the dogs get me, will you?"

Tossing the magazine back onto the table, Johnny went into the hallway and unlocked the front door. A moment later, both of boys were walking into the living room to meet Ellie, who had her arms crossed over her chest.

"You told her?" Pony cried upon seeing Ellie's stern expression. He gave Johnny a hard punch on the shoulder.

"No!" He grumbled loudly, hitting him back. "She was already awake when I came downstairs, you dip-shit."

Ellie sauntered closer, intimidating with the pair of scissors still clutched in her hand. "What the heck are you two up to?"

The boys looked at each other, then back at the girl. There was no way they could tell Ellie without risking her wrath- or worse, Darry's.

"Nothing." Pony stared past her head. "We were just gonna go out and uh... go star-gazing."

"It's too late at night for your bull, Ponyboy Curtis." She went back to the couch and dropped the scissors in a little tin box where the rest of her sewing supplies were. Then she sat and stared expectantly at them from across the room. "Well?"

Johnny sighed and reclaimed his spot beside her. "Tattoos."

"Tattoos?" Her eyes drifted shut and her fingers came up to pinch the bridge of her nose. "Ponyboy, I distinctly remember your brother saying you weren't allowed to get one."

Pony sat down on the edge of the coffee table where it was free of clothes and clutter. "Which is why I'm here at three in the morning and Darry isn't."

"Pony-"

"Awe, Ellie!" Pony interrupted her before she could start a long-winded speech on respecting adults. "Why'd you always got to be such a bummer, huh?"

Ellie's scowl shifted into a pout. "I am not a bummer!"

"Yes, you are." Ponyboy shot back, and Johnny half expected him to stick his tongue out at her. "You're always telling us not to do things."

Ellie grabbed the sweater she had been mending and flung it at the young boy's face. "I am not! You get a darn tattoo and see if I care!"

A triumphant grin was revealed as Pony tugged the clothing from his face. "Fine then, I will."

"Fine!" Ellie grabbed another pair of pants from the pile and Pony ducked his head. Shooting him an exasperated glare, she folded them into a neat square and started on another pair. "Don't you think you can pull me into helping, either."

Pony tilted his chin up. "We don't need your help."

"Actually," Johnny cut in, "We kinda' need her to draw it on you."

"...Els, have I ever told you how beautiful and kind you are?"

Now it was Ellie's turn to tilt her chin. She kept her lashes low and her nose pointed nearly straight up to the ceiling, the perfect aristocrat. "No, Curtis, you haven't. But you have let me know how much of a bummer I am."

"What!" Pony put a hand to his heart and gasped. "When?"

Outwardly, Ellie didn't seem to be amused. But Johnny could see the beginnings of a smile on her lips.

"Get me a pen and then I'm done." She put her folded clothes in a pile. "If your brother finds out, I wasn't involved in this at all. I wasn't even awake."

Johnny pulled out a little drawer attached to the bottom of the coffee table where they kept little nick-nacks that had no real place in the house. Tucked in the back was a half-used, tooth-marked pen that he promptly handed to Ellie.

"Just get it somewhere unnoticeable, please?" Ellie begged Pony, "Really, no one's going to want to hire you with a tattoo on your forehead."

Pony tugged off his shirt. His chest was flat and barely muscled with a pathetic little tuft of hair beginning to grow between his pecks. Johnny held back a grin, remembering his own first few awkward months of puberty. Sometimes he forgot how much younger Pony was.

"On my back." The youngest decided, turning around and pointing to a spot just below his neck. "Not too big, though."

Ellie sighed and shook the pen to get the ink flowing. Then she put a hand on his shoulder to keep steady and started forming the beginnings of a blade. Watching for only the briefest of moments, Johnny turned back to the drawer and pulled out the nub of a pencil. Then he reached across Ellie and grabbed the needle she had been using, stabbing it into the eraser top.

"You're brother is going to kill you when he sees it." Ellie went on, "But... well, my father always said that if you didn't let a kid do something in front of you, he'll just find a way to do it behind your back."

Pony looked skeptical. "Your dad's a drug dealer, so I don't think we should be taking any advise from him."

Johnny, who had been silently fashioning the needle, couldn't hold back his snort of laughter.

"Ow!" Ponyboy cried suddenly, flinching away from Ellie. There was a small red mark forming on his arm. "Maybe you aren't a bummer but you are pretty damn abusive!"

Feeling bad, she rubbed his hurting arm and went back to her drawing. Once she was finished she went on to do Johnny's on the underside of his forearm.

"That's all I'm helping with." She stated once she was finished. Getting up, she passed Johnny the pen and bundled the clothes in her arms. "You better be done hurry up and finish. School starts in a few hours and I'll be expecting you both showered and ready to go by eight."

"And she says she doesn't want kids." Johnny mused as they heard her soft footsteps running up the stairs. He pried open the top of the pen and emptied the contents into the sewing kit's tin lid. Then he grabbed the little roll of scotch tape and thread to finish off the needle.

Pony got up and went to the window to try and look at Ellie's artwork through the reflection. With his back to the glass and his neck twisted around, he told Johnny, "I don't really mind it when she nags. It's far more pleasant than Darry, at least."

"That's just because you don't actually have to listen to what she says." Johnny wound the thread around the length of the needle and securing it with a piece of tape. He glanced up at his friend as he came back and sat on the couch.

"Naw," Pony paused, "Well, maybe... I just can't take Darry seriously sometimes, you know? Half the things he tells me not to do, I've seen him do before. Anyway, girls are just better at nagging. They've got nicer voices for it, at least."

"Which reminds me..." Johnny tossed him the magazine he had been examining. "Check out page thirty-four."

* * *

Johnny pulled open Ellie's bedroom door, one hand covering his eyes. "Wake up! We gotta leave for school in ten minutes."

"Johnny?" He heard the blankets rustle as she sat up. "What're you doing? What time is it?"

He split a few fingers and braved a peak at her, relieved to see she was fully clothed and alone. He brought his hand back to his side. "I just never know what to expect with Dallas always popping up in the middle of the night."

Ellie yawned, slid her legs out from under the covers and stretched her arms over her head. "We haven't even had sex yet."

"...Really?" He went to her closet and pulled out one of her usual dresses. He couldn't say he surprised, but it did make him wonder how long the relationship last if Dallas wasn't going to get... what he usually looked for in girls. "Huh."

"Don't tell anyone, though." Ellie requested as Johnny passed through the door to give her some privacy. Going downstairs to grab a bagel for her breakfast, she was dressed when he came back in.

Now fully awake, she looked anxious up at him. "You won't tell anyone, will you? I think Dally'll be pissed if..."

Johnny passed her the bagel. It was toasted and coated with cream cheese, but it had grown a little colder since he made it. He sat down beside her as she ate. "I'll try to keep it to myself, but I can't promise I won't give him a jab or two about it."

"It's not a joke." Ellie grumbled before biting into the bread. As she chewed, she grabbed his wrist and pulled up his arm to see his fresh tattoo.

"It stung like a bitch." He admitted, running a finger under the slightly swollen skin. Pony had done such a good job, Johnny liked to think his came out the best out of all the boy's.

Ellie let go of his arm and nudged her head towards a pair of kitten heels at the foot of her dresser. "It looks good. Grab those for me, will you?"

It wasn't that far from the bed so Johnny stretched himself over his knees and hooked the back of the shoes with his fingers to draw it closer. After a few attempts he was successful. "We have less than five minutes, you know."

This seemed to snap a cord in her. Ellie leaped from the bed, bagel lodged in between her teeth as she slid on her shoes and ran into the bathroom.

"Feed the dogs!" She commanded before the door slammed behind her. Sighing loudly, Johnny hurried down the stairs and stuffing both of their bags with their school work, leaving it on the front porch as he passed to fill the dog bowls. Two minutes later, Ellie was herding Lord and Lady outside and locking up behind them.

She tied a long ribbon at the top of her forehead and pushed it back to hold her hair out of her face. "Do I look okay? I didn't have time to shower or even look in a mirror."

"You look fine..." Johnny passed her one of the school bags and gave her outfit a quick look, stopping just below her jaw. "Oh, uh, Els?"

She spotted Pony dragging himself across the street and waved erratically. "Hurry up, Ponyboy! We've got to go if we're going to catch the bus!"

"Els?" Johnny pulled the bag strap over his shoulder, deflating under the weight. "Maybe you should just keep your hair down all the way. That ribbon doesn't really match."

"When did you become such a fashionista?" She raised an eyebrow at him but pulled the ribbon from her hair anyway, stuffing it in her bag just as Pony caught up to them. He and Johnny hadn't finished their tattoos until four in the morning, which left them barely three hours to sleep.

Pony looked dead on his feet, his head lolling forward and his eyes barely open as he stopped outside the gate. "Where the hell is Dallas?"

"He had to go see Slash-J really early today." Ellie explained, leading them down the street to the bus stop. A strong breeze whipped across their bare skin and underneath Ellie's dress- it would have flipped up if she hadn't been fast enough to hold the fabric down. Fall was coming slowly but surely.

Pony kicked a small piece of cement that had broken off from the sidewalk. "You 'oughta make him buy you a new car for burning down your old one."

"You hated that car!" Ellie scoffed as the wind swept her brunette locks away from her neck.

Pony's eyes went wide. "Huh? Uhm- yeah? Els-"

Johnny jabbed his elbow into his friend's side, shutting him up. Pony turned to stare, wide-eyed at him and Johnny returned it with a glare that said '_shut it_'.

"What?" She asked, narrowing her eyes as she caught on to their suspicious antics.

"Nothing." The boys corused stiffly.

Johnny gave her a gentle push to get her walking again, muttering something about missing the bus.

Ellie's kitten heels clicked angrily against the pavement as she hurried past them. "You know, sometimes I think I have ya'll figured out, and then you do this kind of crud and I remember that boys are simply too idiotic to understand."

* * *

It wasn't that Johnny hated school, or that he got bad grades. He was quite average in that area of his life; high Cs and a few Bs and As had littered his report cards since pre-school. Really, just being in school made him smarter than most of the kids he hung around. He wasn't like Two-Bit, who had hardly any shame in being in a freshman math class, or Soda, who flunked out because he couldn't make the grades. Classes were easy for Johnny. All he had to do was show up.

Until his dad beat him up. Johnny had to miss nearly a month of school; worksheets, projects, labs, tests, whole chapters worth of information that he now had to frantically finish in order to pass into the next grade. He wished he'd have just gone in anyway, bruised up and barely walking. Who cared if people stared at him. Or found out the truth about his home life? His bastard of a father deserved to have social services knocking on the door! But he couldn't do it -mostly because Ellie would have strapped him to the bed, but also because he was a coward. Miles away and no longer living under the same roof, Johnny still felt his parent's long, dark shadow cast over him. On the worst days he couldn't even bare to step outside, frightened at the idea that they might be hunting for him. Johnny wouldn't go back- he'd rather hang himself.

Johnny shifted in his seat and shook his head ever so subtly to snap out of his darkening thoughts.

Either way, he was pissed to be working so goddamn hard. Every lunch and free period was spent pouring over old homework, accompanied by Pony or Ellie if he was lucky. Then after school he headed straight for the DX to fill up cars and work the cash register while Soda and Steve goofed off in the garage. To be fair, that wasn't _always_ the case. Johnny couldn't help but join in on their merriment on occasion but most of the time he stayed on track. Being fired wasn't an option. The bills needed to be paid and Ellie hadn't been able to find a job yet. She told him they'd be fine for another couple of months, but Johnny had seen her going around the house one late night trying to calculate how much money they'd get from selling pieces of furniture. They were broke.

Someone nudged him. One of his classmates, a redhead in a too-big leather jacket, gave him a pointed look and nudged his head towards the door beside the teacher's desk. Standing in the hall outside, Two-Bit was frantically trying to catch his attention. He had a mischievous grin that stretched from ear to ear.

Johnny stuck up his hand, glad the teacher had just finished his lecture minutes ago.

"Yes, Mister Cade?"

"Can I go to the washroom?"

The old man hobbled to his desk, scribbled Johnny's name on a hall pass, and held it out. "Be back in five minutes, young man."

Johnny got out of his seat and grabbed the slip of paper with a soft thank-you. Stepping outside, he wondered how he'd get his books out of the room without the teacher noticing. When Two-Bit Matthews lured you out of class, there was little chance you were going to return.

"What're you up to?" Johnny questioned his friend. "Aren't you supposed to be in gym? I thought you liked gym."

Two-Bit crouched closer, rubbing his hands together like a Lillian from a fairy tale."Yes, but I like pranks even more."

"It's ten in the morning, buddy. Don't you think it's a little early to be drinking?"

"I'm not drunk!" The oldest boy exclaimed.

Johnny glanced back at his classroom door before taking him by the elbow, steering him further down the hall. "Then I suggest joining the drama club, Two-Bit, because you certainly have a gift for theatrics."

"You ain't listening, Johnnycake!" Two-Bit tugged on a few locker locks to see if some poor kid hadn't closed it properly, but they were all resistant. "You know where Pony's class is?"

They strolled slowly down the hall towards the staircase. Johnny liked to glance into the room windows to peer into each class he passed, trying to guess what subjects they were learning. On the other side of the hall, Two-Bit got progressively more violent as he tested the locks.

"You aren't going to-" Johnny was silenced as one of the locks gave under the boy's tugging. Two-Bit shot him a smug grin and pulled the locker open. The back of the door was decorated in an array of flowery magnets holding up a signed photo of Ricky Nelson; a little banner with '_Will Rogers Ropers_!' scrawled in looping gold; and a photograph of two girls. They were cheerleaders judging by their outfits and the expanse of field behind them, but Johnny couldn't tell if it was the red-head or the brunette that occupied the locker.

"A Soc." Two-Bit hummed, greed evident in his tone as he pushed aside a Letterman jacket to get to the school bag. Johnny scanned the length of the hallway while he rooted around for valuables, wondering if it really mattered how rich or poor the kid was. It wasn't as if Two-Bit would have left it alone if she was a fellow east-sider.

Johnny crossed his arms over his chest. "Hurry up. I gotta get back to class."

Two-Bit pulled a few dollar bills from a little purse and passed half to Johnny.

Suddenly he didn't feel so bad anymore. He stuffed the money in his pocket. "You brought me outta class to steal from lockers?"

"No. Once Pony gets out I'll tell the both of you." He tossed the purse carelessly into the top shelf and they jogged the rest of the way to the staircase without shutting the door. Leaping up the steps, they made as much distance between them and the scene of their crime as possible.

Luring Pony out of class was difficult, if not impossible. He didn't mind getting into trouble during breaks or at lunch, but God forbid someone bother him while his nose was in a textbook. But it turned out they didn't have to drag him out at all. They were in front of his classroom, arguing as to who would be the one to tell Pony's teacher that the principle wanted to see him, when the boy himself came slinking out of the washroom.

"I got a math test next period." Pony told them before they could say anything. "I don't have time to hang around."

Two-Bit put himself between Pony and the classroom door. "So I was in gym class, minding my own business-"

'I doubt that."

"-Running laps around the track," Two-Bit on as if Johnny hadn't spoken, "When I thought up the most genius prank."

Pony peered over his shoulder at his classroom. "Hurry up!"

Annoyed that Pony was speaking to him so gruffly, Two-Bit grabbed the kid and got him in a tight headlock. Johnny followed the two away from the class, hoping Pony's shouts wouldn't attract any attention from teachers.

"Get off!"

They stopped at another stairwell; not the same one as before, but a different one that lead almost directly to the gym doors.

"Let go of him." Johnny was worried they'd go tumbling down the steps.

"You ever notice how some of those meatballs try their shirts off when there's girls on the bleachers?" Two-Bit asked, letting go of Pony. He gave them both a weak push to start them down the stairs.

"Don't you do that too?" Ponyboy asked grumpily.

Two-bit ignored him. "But then the couch always makes them put it back on 'cause we gotta be decent and all?"

They could hear the thunder of over a dozen boys sprinting around the gym once they were at the last step. Depending on the activity of the day, the coach would make them run a few laps to get the blood flowing.

"Well, what if we could give them the best of both worlds?" Two-Bit asked, nudging this thumb at the gym doors. "All it takes is a short stroll and some of our fine fashion skills."

Johnny exchanged a look with Pony. They were both feeling the same thing- a familiar tightening in their stomachs that warned of trouble to come. Two-Bit's little high jinks could lead to a multitude of punishments, from a slap on the wrist to arrest. None of the consequences were ever easy to predict. Yet they weren't going to say 'no'. It was impossible to deny the red-headed prankster once he was on a roll. Johnny's biggest mistake was following him into the hall.

* * *

After the deed had been done, Johnny, Pony, and Two-Bit gathered by some lockers by the gym to see their hard work come into fruition. It was only a few minutes before the bell would ring to send students to their next classes.

"I left my books in class." Pony stood in front, his back turned to them so he could watch the doors. "I don't even have a pen for my math test."

Johnny thought of all the work he had left in his class. His teacher must have noticed his long absence by now. If he was lucky his classmate might take pity on him and grab Johnny's books to give him on the way out. If not... he was hanging by a very thin thread in school. He should have just stayed in class. If he had just explained his academic situation to Two-Bit, he was sure the older boy would have understood. But a piece of Johnny -a larger piece than he would like to admit- wanted to just forget about unfinished projects and make-up tests for a little while.

"Hey... hey, Pony..." Two-Bit grabbed the collar of Ponyboy's shirt and tugged down to expose the tip of the switchblade engraved just under his neck. "When the fuck did you get that?"

Pony jumped and twisted around, his eyes bulging with fear. "Last night- uh, I- uh, went to Ellie's-"

"That hypocritical little-!" Two-Bit slammed his hand against the locker and a loud metallic bang echoed around them. A disbelieving laugh fell from his grinning mouth. "I can't believe she gave me all that flack and then let _you_ get a tattoo, of all kids-"

Just as quickly as he had been frightened, Pony's expression darkened in irritation. "Kid, kid, kid, kid, kid! I'm not a goddamn kid, and the rest of the gang ain't that much older than me!"

Two-Bit knocked him over the head. "Relax, will you? You're a goddamn firework sometimes, the way you go off. Kid or not, your brothers gonna sell you to the circus when he sees that."

"Yeah?" Pony crossed his arms over his chest and slid down to the floor. "Well, Darry can shove it up his ass."

The eighteen-year old locked his gaze on the gym door as his hand went to fiddle with the cigarette packet wrapped up in his shirt sleeve. "You 'ought to be grateful he even cares, you little shit. Not all brothers love their siblings enough to raise them all on their own."

"Love?" Pony turned his face away, pressing his cheek against the cold locker door. "That's bull. Darry takes care of us because he feels obligated."

Two-Bit was almost never serious, but Pony's words must have struck a rarely touched cord in him. He had more to say, but Johnny gave him a pointed look that told him to quiet down. Pony may be wrong, but arguing with him never helped. He was the type of kid that needed to see living, breathing proof before anything penetrated that rock-hard skull.

They sat down beside Ponyboy.

After careful consideration of his words, Two-Bit asked him, "You still miss your parents, Pony?"

His head still turned away from them, Pony nodded. Johnny was worried he might be crying. Pony's emotions hadn't been steady for months, both from his recent tragedy and adolescence.

Johnny turned away from the gym doors. His legs were flung out before him, gathering dirt from the linoleum floor. One of his shoes had a hole in the tip and he could see his white sock barely peeking through.

"It's kind of weird," Johnny chuckled, "But I kind of miss my parents too."

Pony turned back to him. He wasn't crying but he looked a little weak; as if he could be torn apart by a strong gust of wind. "What'd'ya mean you miss them, Johnnycake? What's there to miss?"

"I can't explain." Johnny told them with a crooked little smile that didn't reach his eyes. Horrific memories lingered in his mind like a noose around the neck. He understood that his parents weren't deserving of his attention, yet sometimes it couldn't be helped. In between the beatings and the screaming matches he could remember pleasant memories. His mother tucking him into bed; his father explaining the rules of baseball as they watched the game on their little black and white television; one glorious Christmas spent at a distant cousin's by Grand Lake. That was the farthest he'd ever been out of Tulsa. He had been younger than ten when these memories were forged and he wasn't quite sure if they were real or something he had dreamed up... But it was all he had. Somehow that little flame of warmth overshadowed the cold.

"That's like missing the plague." Two-Bit commented from above, ruffling Johnny's hair. "Look what you've got now! I house all to yourself, no rules to follow, no one yelling at you, and a girl to cook you hot meals. You got it made, Johnny. You 'ought to get your head outa' the past so you can enjoy your present."

Johnny and Pony stared up at him, their misery melting away in exchange for curiosity.

"That was pretty deep, Two-Bit." Ponyboy tilted his head, "Where'd you steal that crap out'a?"

Scowling at the insult to his intelligence, Two-Bit jabbed him hard with the tip of his shoe. "Shut up or I'll let slip to Darry about your tattoo."

"He'll probably try to flay it off." Pony sunk lower into his seat, finally realizing the world of trouble he'd be in if his brother found out.

The school bell rang and the abandoned hallways sprang to life. Students poured from classroom doors like a great flood. Pony and Johnny had to stand or risk being trampled on. They inched closer to the gym, waiting eagerly for some sort of reaction. Through the small windows on the doors they could see boys trailing into the locker room. A few minutes later, a shirtless senior emmerged to storm furiously across the gym where the coach was writing on his clipboard. They exchanged words and the teacher watched gravely as the boy waved towards the locker room and then to the t-shirt clutched in his hand. Then another boy came out wearing pants and his sweaty gym shirt overtop. He had an expensive sweater in his grasp and when he put in on for the coach to examine, they could see it was really only half of one. The other half had been hacked off by Two-Bit's switchblade, revealing an awkward amount of torso.

Upon seeing his work and the angry, confused expression on the coach's face, the eighteen-year-old tipped his head back and let loose a howling, uncontrollable laugh. It cut through the buzz of students and through the doors, bouncing around the high walls of the gym like a rouge basketball. It was as if an alarm went off. Immediately the coach's eyes were fixed on the windows of the doors. Johnny and Ponyboy ducked down, but it was too late. They had been spotted.

"We better split." Pony told them, already mingling into the crowd before Johnny could reply. He followed suit and left Two-Bit to his fate.

* * *

Ellie struggled against the woman's tight grip on her arm. She had asked multiple times as to why she was being dragged from the hall into the office, but she had only recieved vague, tight-lipped answers instead. The woman was a teacher, though not one she had ever had before. What she could have possibly done to offend her, Ellie had no idea.

"I have a hall pass!" She cried out as they passed the main desk. There were three receptionists sitting at the front; one of them lifted their head to stare disapprovingly at Ellie.

The teacher turned the corner and promptly released the girl. "Sit down in one of the chairs until the Principle calls you in."

"B-but..." Ellie was beginning to feel teary. She had never been in trouble at school before. "I haven't done anything wrong!"

"We uphold certain standards at this school, young lady, and if you think you can get away with doing whatever you want, you've got another thing coming!" Having had enough of Ellie's whining, the woman spun on her heel and left.

It wasn't until after that Ellie noticed her company. Slumped in three of the five seats were Two-Bit, Johnny, and Pony. They stared up at her with a mixture of fear and guilt and the pieces began to fall into place in her mind.

Ellie crossed her arms over her chest. When she spoke, it was in a slow but sharp. "What have you done?"

"Nothing!" They all protested at once. Ellie didn't believe them for a second. She was naive and occasionally delusional, but she wasn't that stupid. Most days she wouldn't care what they got up to, but it seemed as if today she was being wrapped up in their mess.

Another thought came to her. "Oh my gosh! It was you three! _You_ cut all those boys' shirts in half! The whole school is in hysterics!"

Two-Bit couldn't pretend any longer. The glory of a successful and well recognized prank had sent him overboard. Ellie didn't have any doubts he was the mastermind behind it all.

"It was that good, huh?" His sly grin stretched from ear to ear.

"Oh, of course! They're chanting your name in the halls! They want to crown you King of Will Rogers High!"

He stared up at her, awe glowing like pearls in his eyes. "Really?"

"No!" Ellie sat down in the seat beside Pony, her arms still tightly crossed to express her great displeasure in them. "There's just a few pissed off boys still in their gym shirts, threatening to butcher the culprits. It smells like the bottom of a fisherman's boot out there."

"Two-Bit made us." Pony admitted without shame, resting his elbows on his knees as he stared down at the tiled floor. "I should be taking a math test right now. If those boys don't get us first, Darry'll be happy to finish the job. I won't be allowed to leave my room for a _year_."

Johnny huffed unsympathetically. "You think you have it rough? What do ya' think'll happen when they call my parents and find out I'm a runaway?"

"Oh God." Ellie's heart dropped to the pit of her stomach. "What if they try and call _my_ parents?"

Two-Bit blinked at his three despairing friends. "Ya'll just love sucking the fun and happiness outta' everything."

"Shut up, will you?" Pony brought his head up to glower at Two-Bit. "This is all your fault!"

He put his hands up in defense. "Hey, you could have left whenever you wanted to, man!"

"Not really." Johnny mentioned quietly. "You had him in a headlock."

"I wasn't even there!" Ellie sunk deeper into her seat, wishing for the first time that she had left Tulsa like she was supposed to. Now she was in for a world of trouble- from the school and her parents. "How the heck did I get dragged into this as well?"

Just then, the door opened and a small freshman girl came out, a tissue pressed to her nose and her eyes swollen red. She hurried past them with her gaze to the ground. A man in a brown suit emerged after her. He had thin blonde hair parted to the side and a neat beard covering half of his weathered face. The man let his gaze trail down the assortment of kids sitting against the wall before stopping at Two-Bit.

He sighed lengthily. "Matthews, didn't I see you just this morning?"

"It's like I said this morning, Ken!" Two-Bit stood up, proud with indignation. "Those teachers you have slouching around, they're out to get me!"

"In my office, Mr. Matthews."

They disappeared inside. A few minutes later, they heard Two-Bit shouting so loudly it pierced the walls. "Honestly, Ken! No, listen, listen! I was just tryin' to do them a favor, honest to God! They should be calling me a hero!"

Ellie turned to the boys. "You realize he belongs in a mental institution, right?"

"Maybe he's drunk." Pony suggested, scuffing his shoes against the floor to see how many little grey marks he could create. "Honestly, it's hard to tell sometimes. He's crazy with or without booze."

Two-Bit was yelling again. "-Then a fashion icon! I'm like Andy Warhol, man! I'm a goddamn artist! Ken, you aren't listening! No, I'm not gonna sit down! You can't condemn a man for his radical- ugh!"

There was a loud crash and Ellie could only imagine Two-Bit had fallen from his chair. Ellie's hands flew to her mouth to hold back her laughter. The boys were struggling as well.

"What is this! Communist Russia? Are you a Commy, man? No really, Ken, you can tell me. We're friends, aren't we? You a Commy, Ken?"

Pony couldn't hold it in any longer. A choked laugh flew from his mouth and into the barren little hall. He slammed his fist against his armrest, unable to control himself. Seeing him break sent Johnny off the edge as well, and Ellie soon followed suit. They must have disrupted the office ladies; one of them came storming in and gave a lecture on respect. The rest of the time they spent with their beet red faces pressed into their laps.

Two-Bit came out sauntering. He gave Ellie a cocky wink and she noticed he was sporting a swelling cheek from whatever fall he took. The Principle came out and scanned them again.

"Two-Bit has confessed to having made this mess singularly." He _humph_-ed with disbelief. "It's a blatant lie... but since the rest of you happen to be relatively good students, I'll make an exception. You may return to your classes but must report to detention after school today and for the rest of the week. Is that understood?"

They nodded eagerly. Anything was better than a call to their parents. They'd still have to bring a notice home, but signatures were easily forged.

"I've got a months worth of detentions." Two-Bit added, his hands perched on his hips and his chest puffed out like a penguin.

The Principal's face turned pink. He stabbed his finger towards the exit. "You better head to class before I bring back corporal punishment, Mr. Matthews."

They all stood to leave.

"Not you, Miss Carter." He put a heavy hand on her shoulder to stop her.

Ellie turned to stare wide-eyed at him and then to her friends. The dread that had vanished at their dismissal came back tenfold.

"She wasn't even here!" Johnny insisted, inching closer as if he was about to grab her hand and pull her away.

"Miss Carter wasn't brought to the office for the same reasons as you three." The man gave her a gentle nudge to bring her into his office. "Go to class, Mr. Cade, or I'll be very glad to add more hours to your detention."

_They've found out_, Ellie thought as she sat delicately in the well upholstered seat in the center of the little office. In front of her was a massive oak desk covered in documents and fancy fountain pens, with a little plaque in the middle reading '_Principal Ken Browne_'. The room smelled of moth balls and cigars.

As Principal Browne rounded the table and sat down in his own seat, she wondered if it would be the last time she'd ever set foot in Will Rogers High. But the thought felt empty, and she had a hard time concentrating on it. Her vision was blurring at the edges, bile rising at her throat. She felt drunk off terror.

"I'll be very brief, Miss Carter." Browne took off his thick glasses and cleaned them with a handkerchief he kept on his desk. Then he placed them back on the bridge of his nose and balled his hands together in front of him. "I understand that it this generation of youth are more... relaxed in many aspects of their lives. They tend to be more... out-spoken, curious, and... affectionate."

He said the words as if there were a million distasteful meanings attached to them. Ellie wasn't shocked. As most of the older generations assumed, kids in the sixties were drug-addicted, sex crazed anarchists with their noses shoved in politics they didn't understand. That was all well enough for Ellie; she was too busy trying to pay her bills to care about what kind of hippie trends were running through her peers. Sure she liked to dress mod, but her hem-lines were modest and her opinions on recent events were non-existent. So why was she being lectured on something that obviously didn't concern her? Did they find out she was living with Johnny? Did the Principal think she had stayed in Tulsa just so that she could shack up with him?

"I..." Ellie contemplated revealing everything. Maybe he would be gentler on her if she was honest... "I'm sorry, but I have no idea what you're talking about, Sir."

Browne sighed and glanced up at the clock on the wall to his left. There was still a few hours before the last bell would ring. Turning back to his desk, he fingered through a file. "The records we received from your old school in Chicago indicate that you were a model student with good grades. But in the recent year it seems your grades have slipped in both mathematics and chemistry. I understand that you moved down here with your grandmother, but not your parents?"

Already pale, Ellie whitened to a sheet. "Y-yes."

He flipped a page over and took a moment to read. "Then your grandmother passed away and your mother moved down here to take care of you?"

Ellie nodded, too petrified to trust her voice. Staring at a fat filing cabinet collecting dust in a corner, she clasped the edge of the chair to stop her hands from shaking.

"Why didn't your mother take you back to Chicago?" Principal Browne probed.

"...Because my father's business is in trouble and... my mother wanted to keep out of his hair."

He picked up one of his pens and scribbled something on the edge of the paper. Closing the file, he sat back in his seat and tented his fingers. "Miss Carter, as I'm sure you are aware, we have been hearing rumors regarding your father. That is not my business. We are here to educate and mold students into good, contributing members of society. However, I have noticed a change in your grades as well as those you associate with. This we will not tolerate. Regardless of your problems in the home, we expect a certain level of decorum here at Will Rogers High. You upheld those standards before and it will not do to have you fall below them. Do you understand?"

Ellie tore her gaze from the cabinet to the Principle. She felt dazed and dumb. "Not... really, Sir. Are you saying... are you saying I shouldn't hang around my friends?"

He glanced at the clock again. "I am suggesting that you surround yourself with students that will help you advance in the world. Keith Matthews is not one of those people. Neither is Dallas Winston- and when you see him again, please remind him that he is not allowed on school property. What I am demanding is more dedication to your grades and less on your social life. I am sure you are very proud to have a boyfriend, Miss Carter, but it is not appropriate to... boast about it as you are."

Now she was really confused. So they hadn't found out about her living arrangements, nor was she in trouble for the prank... did that mean she had been dragged into the Principal's office to be lectured on her grades and behavior? It seemed to be an excessive punishment to a very mild and vague offence.

"But... I keep his class ring _hidden_, Sir." Ellie pulled the chain out from under her neckline. She couldn't think of anything else that would signify her relationship with Dallas.

Principal Browne sat up and pulled one of his desk drawers open. He rooted around for a long moment and then passed her a cheap, plastic hand mirror. "As you seem to be unaware, it would be best if you took a look at appearance."

Feeling embarrassed and quite ridiculous, Ellie lifted the mirror to her face and found nothing out of the ordinary. A small zit was forming on her temple, but she doubted that was the source of everyone's concern.

"Turn your head, Miss Carter."

When she stepped outside they were all waiting for her. Johnny jumped from his seat. "What happened?"

Ellie was no longer frightened. Her lips were pressed in a thin line and her silvery orbs flashed with furious embarrassment. "I'm breaking up with that ...b-bastard, that's what!"

Two-Bit lifted an eyebrow. "Dally?"

"And you!" She jabbed a manicured finger into Johnny's chest. "You should have told me I look like a...a woman of the night! How could you let me walk around like this all day?"

Johnny pushed Pony in front of him. "He knew! He let you do it too!"

"What?" Two-Bit asked, stepping forward. "What's happening?"

Ellie gathered her hair and pulled it back to show him the scattering of bruises along her neck and shoulder. "This! Look what that _beast_ did to me!"

* * *

**Hi! I'm really, really sorry for taking so long on this one! I wanted to focus on Johnny and Ellie's friendship as well as his friendship with Pony and Two-Bit this chapter, so sorry there isn't a lot of Ellie/Dallas. There are some heavier parts in this chapter, but I liked to think I kept things pretty light and breezy. Oh! I also really wanted to express how Johnny felt about his family despite his separation from them. I want to make it clear that he isn't suddenly perfectly happy just because he moved out. Lots of people who live in abusive homes come out of it very traumatized. There is still a lot of story left for Johnny (as everyone knows).**

**Once again, I'm so grateful for your reviews! The longer the better! Don't feel shy about expressing everything you like and dislike about this story! I read and appreciate every single word of it! It helps so much when you tell me what you like about Ellie so that I know what parts of her should stay the same and what parts need character development!**

**Don't worry, there'll be more Dallas/Ellie in the next chapter. He might get a good tongue-lashing for the hickeys though!**

**See you next time! Lots of love!**


	28. Come As You Are

28.

"Wasn't this due three days ago?" Ellie asked Johnny, holding up one of the many crumpled papers he passed to her. They were standing in front of his locker after school attempting to stuff five thick textbooks and a mess of homework into his backpack.

Johnny grabbed the edge of the page to see the writing. His face contorted in pain. "_Shit_."

"Language!" Ellie corrected half-heartedly. She stuffed the rest of the loose papers into her own bag and took a step into the crowds of people moving toward the school's exits. It was Friday and teenagers scrambling to leave faster than they would have if the school was on fire. "I'll hand it in for you. Room 167 right?"

Johnny smiled gratefully as he stuffed a fist full of math worksheets into his bursting pack. "I goddamn love you."

"I gosh-darn love you too!" She laughed, waving as she hurried around a bend in the hall. Fighting against the stream of students, it took her nearly five minutes to get to the other side of the school where Johnny's class was. Though the teacher was already locking up the classroom behind her, Ellie managed to convince her to take Johnny's papers with a few heartfelt, pleading words.

Now following the masses instead of fighting them, Ellie trailed along the twists and turns of the school towards the back parking lot. She didn't bother going back to Johnny's locker; he'd be waiting outside with the rest of the gang.

"Ellie! Ellie!" Someone was calling her name as she stepped through the exit. The sky was heavy with clouds but it was still brighter than the floresent lights inside. Ellie squinted around the lot, looking for her friends. They were gathered to the far left; Pony, Johnny, Dally, and Steve with his arm around Evie. None of them had noticed her yet.

"Ellie!" Rough, familiar fingers wrapped around her forearm to stop her. It was Ben. The moment she turned his hand shot back to his side.

Ellie's belly twisted and her pulse quickened at the sight of her old boyfriend. Dally's ring swung like a pendelum under her dress. "H-hi, um... hello."

He smiled, pink tinting his cheeks. "Hi."

She was reminded of their first date. Ben had stood on her porch once upon a time, smiling that same smile, blushing, awkward... He always had a way of melting her heart.

Ben realized she was waiting for him to explain himself. They hadn't been very friendly since their break up; in fact, not a single word had been exchanged since. It was as if they had a silent agreement to avoid each other entirely. It helped that none of the Socs spoke to her anymore- and it wasn't as if the Greasers ever welcomed him with open arms.

"Um..." Ben glanced back to his friends- football players and their girlfriends. They had been Ellie's friends too, not so long ago. Loitering to the far side of the school on the edge of the soccer field, they distanced themselves from the parking lot as if simply stepping foot on Geaser territory would decrease their value. The kids closest to the field eyed them, hands in their pockets, fingers on the handle of their switchblades. The Socs didn't have eyes for them, however. Instead their gazes were cast across the lot, trained on Johnny and Pony. If he had been there instead of detention, Ellie was sure Two-Bit would he the centre of their attention as well. Their little prank had strummed at the tight cord of tension between the two classes.

Ben turned back to her. "I uh... heard some of the girls have been giving you trouble."

"Oh, not really..." Ellie waved dismissally, "It's just the usual highschool drama. Nothing I can't handle."

"Right, but I... uh, just wanted you to know that I didn't want- I mean, I told them to stop. And I've been telling everyone that it isn't true..." Ben was turning progressively redder. "The... the rumors and gossiping... Not that- I didn't just come here to explain myself or-"

Ellie put a hand on his forearm to stop him. "Ben, It's okay."

He stilled, staring down at her hand. She retracted quickly, covering it up by adjusting the strap of her bag. It hurt to see how far their relationship had regressed. A few months ago they would have been laughing and teasing each other without any suttering or discomfort. Now look at them.

Ellie didn't want Ben. There were no doubts about who her heart belonged to. But... She just wished they could have remained friends. There was nothing stopping them, really, besides their classes. One thing she had learned hanging out with both Socs and Greasers was that they shared as many similarities as they did differences.

"Els!" Dallas was calling to her, a hard edge to his voice. A shiver ran down her spine, yet she wasn't sure why.

"I have to go." Ellie mumbled quickly. "But thank you. It really means a lot that you... would defend me even after everything. Oh! And... well, just so you know, I had no part in that prank last week. I didn't even know they were doing it."

Ben stood straighter and smiled, gathering up that classic football confidence from deep within him."I know. I'll see you around, Ellie." His eyes followed something behind her back. "And be careful, alright?"

Ellie turned back to walk to her friends, nearly screaming when Dally appeared standing directly behind her. "What are you doing!" She gasped, a hand to her heart.

"Getting you." Dally snapped, swinging a heavy arm over her shoulder as they walked back to Buck's convertable. "What the hell did the meathead want?"

"My hand in marriage."

Dally's scowl deepened. "Listen, if you think-"

"Dally, I'm kidding!" Ellie wrapped her arms around his waist and pressed her cheek against his shoulder, gazing up at the sharp features of his face. A lie about being in a group project with Ben came automatically to mind. She didn't want him to know how everyone thought about their relationship; how she was the school's new harlot, soiled by the local J.D. But Dallas saw through her lies as if she was made up of glass. "Some girls have been making fun of me for getting dumped so he came by to apologize and clear things up. Honestly, Dallas, what are you so jealous about?"

"Jealous?" Dallas rolled his eyes as they made it across the lot to Buck's convertable. "You wish, Princess. I just don't want some other dog sniffing around my territory."

Johnny was sitting on the hood beside Pony. Ellie turned to them with a raised eyebrow. "Did I hear that correctly? Did my boyfriend just refer to me as 'territory'?"

"Yeah." Pony muttered, "But I think he also called himself a dog."

"No I didn't..." Dallas looked down to the ground, thinking. "Well, ya' know what I mean! Just get in the goddamn car!"

* * *

Ellie watched in pure amusement as Pony's face shaded redder and redder, fists clenched, teeth bared. He gave her a glare that could have rivaled Dally's, if it had only burned with black ice and not fire.

"_No_." He said through gritted teeth. "And the fact that you even think so is nearly blasphemic."

She rolled her eyes. "It's not that I don't like Elvis, but it's obvious that The Beatles and the whole 'British Invasion' has put a damper on his career-"

"The British Invasion is bullshit!" Pony countered passionately. It was a slow day at the Dingo and only a few of the booths were occupied. His voice carried around the resteraunt and caught a few of the occupant's attention. A big bear of a Greaser looked at him with irritation and Pony lowered his voice. "Elvis pumps out hits all the time _and_ he makes tons of movies! What does The Beatles do?"

"His movies suck, and he hasn't made one good song all year. Anyway, the Beatles made _'A Hard Day's Night_'!"

Pony propped his hand up against the jutebox they were crowded around, barely containing his frustrations. "Who cares? Elvis Presley's songs are classics! They'll be playing on the radio for hundreds of years to come! The Beatles are just some passing fad for sappy teenage girls to squeal over."

"Say's you! The Beatles were on the radio last week and I'll be darned if I didn't see you bopping your head to the song!" Louder, Ellie began to chant, "Ponyboy loves The Beatles, Ponyboy loves the Beatles!"

She was caught off guard as Pony wrapped his arm around her neck and pulled her into a headlock. He rubbed his nuckle roughly againt her hair and she squealed, both with laughter and embarrassment.

"Stop!" Ellie shouted, hitting him in the chest.

Pony's grip around her was stronger than expected. "Not until you tell me that Elvis is the King of Rock and The Beatles can kiss his ass!"

"Fine!" There were people starting to stare at them and she was becoming flustered. "Elvis is the King of Rock and The Beatles can kiss his you-know-what!"

"Say the word!" Pony insisted, exchanging his knuckles with his fingers so that he could muss up her hair even worse.

"A-A-Ass! The Beatles can kiss Elvis' ass!" Ellie gave him a hard shove and he released her, tears streaming down his face as he laughed.

She kicked him swiftly in the shin. "I'm a girl, Pony! You can't do that to girls!"

His eyes went wide and he placed a hand on his cheek. "You're a _girl_?"

Standing straight and proud, Ellie preened her hair until the strands laid back in their original positions. "You're never going to get a girlfriend acting like an ape, Curtis."

"Good, I don't want one!" He said, scrunching up his nose. "Watching the rest of the boys faun over girls is vomit-enducing enough. Speaking of which- that waitress looks like she wants to devour Dallas."

Ellie followed his line of vision. A few tables away, Dallas, Johnny, Steve, and Evie were crowded into a booth by the window. A slim, brunette girl of perhaps fifteen had her hand propped on the table and a radiant smile displayed only for Dallas. He had his own smile as well, coy and flirtatious. Ellie turned back to Pony. He had put some change in the jutebox and was hunting for a song to play.

"Do you think I should interfere?"

"How should I know?" Pony pressed a few buttons and, predictably, an Elvis song filtered through the speakers. "But I can tell you one thing; Dallas has been glancing over here for ten minutes, waiting for you to notice."

Ellie chewed on the inside of her cheek, thinking. She wasn't particularily worried that Dallas was intending to cheat on her. It was probably just a retaliation for speaking to Ben. If she went over there acting upset, it would even the playing field. But it would also be a hit to her dignity- yet so would letting them continue on.

"Just _go_." Pony urged, "Or we'll never hear the end of it."

Ellie leaned up against the jutebox and watched a little longer. Only when the waitress bent down to write her name and number on a napkin did she decide to approach them. She got there just as she handed the paper to Dallas.

"Dally-bear!" Ellie called out loudly, maneuvering around the waitress so that she could sit down hard on her boyfriend's lap. He groaned under the impact. "Ponyboy is being _so _mean to me!"

Dallas struggled to find a response while the rest of the table bowed their heads to hide their grins.

"Is..." The waitress stared at the couple, confusion written across her face. "Is this your sister?"

"Not unless he's into inbreeding." Steve answered with as snort. Evie had to duck her face into his chest to hide back her giggles. Dallas, feeling as if his plan had run it's course, pressed a kiss against one of the many hickeys on Ellie's neck and offered the waitress a seductive wink.

The poor girl cleared her throat and hurried away, her face burning red.

"That was mean." Ellie told them, attempting to pull herself off Dally's lap.

His arms snaked around her waist to hold her down. His breath against her ear sent another shiver down her spine. "I'll get you for that."

'_I hope so' _Ellie thought, but didn't say it outloud in fear that she might be overheard by the others. Instead she pressed a quick kiss against his lips and tried to wiggle away again.

"I have to go to the ladies room." Ellie told Dallas, and he reluctantly released her. Her squirming had triggered a hunger in him that he wasn't quite ready to let die just yet, but he knew that now was not even close to the right time or place.

Evie stood up as well. "I'll come with you."

The boys watched the girls dissapear down a corridor leading to the washrooms, their arms laced together and their faces close as they whispered and laughed.

"I told you that wouldn't end well." Johnny said as he chewed on a frenchfry.

Dallas tossed him the napkin with the waitress' number on it. "Here, Johnnycake, why don't you try and get your own girlfriend."

Johnny shrugged and tossed it back. There was no way he'd ever grow enough balls to call. Dallas let out a loud sigh and got up to stretch.

"I should have just stayed single." He said between yawns. Then he abandoned his friends and headed towards the front counter. Penny was on the other side, gathering dishes and dumping them into a bucket to wash.

"Hey." Dallas greeted to grab her attention.

Penny looked up and narrowed her eyes. There were only rare occasions that Two-Bit's sister and Dallas spoke; no love was lost between them. Dallas thought Penny was a prude and a bore, and Penny thought Dallas was a no-good thug that only brought trouble to those around him. Neither were particularily wrong.

Instead of engaging with him, Penny turned to a customer that had just entered. Expecting him to sit down, she was sorely dissapointed to watch him bee-line to the phones on the back wall.

"Hey yourself." She replied, having no other choice but to acknowledge Dally's existance. "I'm not giving you guys any more free pie after that food fight debacle, so you better pay up or get out."

Dallas sat down on one of the ripped stools and shook his head. "That's not it. I want you to give Ellie a job."

"_Here_?"

"Where the hell else?" Dallas leaned up against the counter. "She's been having a hard time getting a job on account of her being a useless Soc, but the bills are due by the end of the month and she doesn't have a dime to her name."

Penny paused in her dish handling. "I never thought the day would come where Dallas Winston would be asking for favors for someone either than himself."

"I'm feeling generous. Don't get used to it." Dallas muttered. "So? Will you do it?"

Penny screwed up her face and was about to answer him when the customer who had been using the phone sat down beside Dallas and waved at Penny.

"One Sec'." Penny told him as she moved to get the man's order.

Dallas turned his head back to the table, relieved to see Ellie had not come back yet. He didn't know what the hell girls did in the bathroom that took so long, but for once he was grateful for it.

"Look," Penny came back after she passed an order through the window leading into the kitchen. "You know I adore her, but she's too much of a Soc to work at a place like this. Do you know how many fights I've had to break up this month? Or how many fights I had to _start_ to get trucker pigs to stop grabbing my ass? Has she ever even waitressed before?"

Dallas caught Penny's gaze. "You're underestimating her."

"I'll speak to my manager." Penny relented, exhaling an exausted sigh. "She better be a quick learner. I don't have time to babysit."

Dallas felt a brief wave of sympathy for the girl; it wasn't fair that she worked so hard to pay the bills when her older brother was just as capable. But then the feeling was gone and he hopped off the stool. "Thanks, Matthews."

"Just pay for your burger, Winston. I better not catch you dining and ditching again."

Dallas turned around to go back to his table just as the stranger was reaching for the napkin dispenser. Their shoulders collided and both boys were jerked from the impact.

"Watch where you're goin'." Dally growled, a surly automatic response. He didn't expect anything to come of it but he wasn't particularly upset when the man pushed off of his stool to tower over him.

"You say something, hick?"

He was over six foot and broad with curling hair slicked back like a Greaser but his clothes were easily designer. His voice was deep and strong; it belonged to a politican or judge and not a twenty-something punk. Yet there was also something familiar about him... something irritatingly demanding.

Dallas wanted to fight him.

There seemed to be nothing to say out loud. Both circled each other, turning clock-wise as if set on a track. The man was bigger and older than Dallas; he'd get a few good shots in. But Dally fought like a rabid dog and that was almost always on his side. Already adrenalin was thrumming through his blood. They locked gaze -there was something chillingly familiar about his ashy orbs as well.

"Danny!" Ellie's ear-piercing squeal cut through Dally's concentration like a sword. He turned to look at her just as the man's fist hammered against his cheekbone. Shouting more in surprise than pain, he backed up against the counter to regain his barings. Ellie was on him in a second.

"Oh gosh, are you okay?" She asked, running her fingers against the side of his face before turning to the man. "Danny, what the heck is wrong with you?"

Dallas brushed her off, too angry to care if she was insulted. "You know this jerk-off?"

"_Yes_," Ellie rolled her eyes. "He's my brother."

* * *

**Hi everyone! It was a short chapter, I know! But I did update earlier if that helps! I apologize for any spelling mistakes but I edited this on my ipad and it doesn't always tell me if something's spelled wrong.**

**I know I repeat places and situations a lot, but are you guys sick of certain things? I just wanna know cuz I might be planning another party scene but we've had like 5 of those so...**

**Also, Ellie's brother is here! And of course Dallas HAS to fight him. Next chapter will focus a lot Ellie's family but don't worry, there's some Dallas/Ellie moments too! Coughsexualtensioncough.**

**I feel like I definitely had more things to say to you guys but can't remember anymore! Anyway, see you later! Love you guys!**


	29. Ask Me Anything

29.

The diner was still. The only sound came from the sizzle of patties on the fryer. Everyone had their eyes trained on what was about to unfold. Two boys- barely men- were poised to fight as a girl pressed hand against the younger one's chest. The fight had started off lightly, with a casualness that suggested they were only looking for something to liven up their day. Now, a new found animosity crackled in the air like lightning.

"Who is this guy?" Danny snarled at his sister, stabbing a finger at the boy.

Suddenly hyper aware of her big brother and her boyfriend in the same room -and the giant hickeys on her neck-, Ellie took a step away from Dallas. "Um..." She turned pink. "My boyfriend?"

Fists still balled tightly, Danny looked Dallas over. Tight jeans, leather jacket, greased blonde hair that needed a cut and a tattoo peeking out from under his muscle shirt. The boy was a Greaser at best, a hood more likely. His skin crawled at the idea of the bastard's hands on his baby sister. "The _hell_ he is."

Ellie plastered on a queasy smile. "Why don't we-"

"What?" Dallas interrupted, his anger getting the better of him. "I'm not good enough or something?"

"Is that a rhetorical question?" They stepped towards each other, glowering like dogs in pit. Danny smirked. "Do you even know what 'rhetorical' means?"

"I'd look it up but I'm too busy fucking your si-"

"Dallas!" Ellie cried out, alarmed. As if her voice had been a trigger to the bang of a gun they were waiting for, the boys pounced. Dallas reached a hand to Danny's throat as his other was brought back for a punch, but the older boy took him by the collar of his jacket and they went crashing to the floor. On top, Danny pounded his fist into the side of Dally's face.

Ellie grabbed the back of his shirt to pull him off, begging for them to stop. Steve got out of the booth and grabbed her forearm, tugging her so hard that her skin turned red. Ignoring her watering eyes, he shoved her into the booth beside Evie with a silent warning to stay put.

After a few bloody punches, Dallas managed to block a hit with his arm and jabbed his elbow into Danny's throat. His overwhelming strength wavered in a moment of disorientation, just long enough for Dally to kick him off. They laid panting for a moment, side by side. To onlookers, it looked as if the fight was finished. Dally's face was bloodied and Danny had his busted hands on his bruising stomach. Then Danny crawled onto his knees, pushed himself up with a stool, and let out an aching cough. Their glares connected, the younger boy on the floor as the older towered over him. The loser and the champion- yet somehow they felt more like equals now than before.

Danny gave him a hard kick in the chest. Having seen enough, Steve came forward and shoved him away.

"He's down, alright?" He snapped, standing in front of his friend protectively. Danny hawked a wad of bloody spit onto the floor as Dally got up. That jab in the throat must have hit him harder than they thought.

"Get. Out." Penny screeched from behind the counter, teeth bared. "All of you!"

Ellie and Evie threw a few dollars onto the table to pay for their food (and a hearty tip for Penny's troubles) before following the boys outside.

"Where's my car?" Danny asked, scanning the parking lot.

Ellie made a face at Dallas behind her brother's back. "It uh... I had to sell it. I'll tell you later."

"We're gonna go." Steve looped an arm around Evie's waist and gave the rest of them a doubtful glance. "There's no way in hell I'm getting involved in _this _mess."

The couple started toward the bus stop. Behind them, The Dingo's door opened and out came Ponyboy with Penny's hand around his collar. She shoved him into Johnny and they nearly fell to the dusty cement.

"But I didn't do nothing!" Ponyboy huffed as they straightened. Penny slammed the door behind her.

Ellie turned back to Dallas. His face was covered in blood; it gushed from his broken nose and a cut above his swollen eye. She knotted her hands behind her back to keep from helping him. It was _his_ fault. They didn't have to fight. In fact, she wasn't too sure why they were fighting in the first place.

"Give Johnny the keys." She insisted, "I don't think you can drive us all home in your condition."

"I'll do it." Danny held up his hand expectantly. He wasn't about to sit in the back seat while some little kid steered. He was the oldest, it was his right to be the driver.

"Hell no." Dally growled, wiping the crimson away from his mouth. "You can walk, motherfu-"

"Okay!" Ellie shoved her hand into Dally's jacket pocket and tossed Johnny the keys. "You two can either get in the car quietly or you can stay outside of The Dingo fighting to the death. I don't care either way."

The ride home was short but awkward. The two feuding boys sat at opposite sides of the back seat, glaring out the side as poor Pony was crushed in between them.

"I should have taken the bus with Steve." He muttered to himself. Up front, Johnny and Ellie shared amused smiles. Now that they weren't trying to murder each other, the situation had cooled down and Ellie could find humor in their sulking faces. How could grown men act like such babies?

Johnny pulled up into Ellie's driveway. The boys threw themselves out of the car as if it might blow up.

"I'm going home." Pony was already on his way to his house when he turned to look over his shoulder. "You comin' Johnny?"

"You should." Ellie told him when he looked at her in askance. "You're better off not getting wrapped up in my family problems."

"You got wrapped up in mine." Johnny reminded her.

Ellie smiled and gave him a push towards Pony. "Go."

When she turned back she found that Danny had already disappeared inside, most likely to find Lord. She had almost forgotten that he was the dog's true owner.

"Your brother is an ass." Dallas stated, leaning up against the car. His shirt was blotched with red where he had wiped his face. The bleeding wasn't so bad now.

"You're an ass too." Ellie reached up and brushed her fingers against his undamaged cheek despite her previous reservations. She just couldn't help herself; she never could when it came down to Dallas. "Do you need fixing up?"

Dally grabbed her waist and tugged her a little closer. "What're _you_ gonna do? You nearly fainted when you saw that gash I got from Tim."

"That was _gross_."

"Anyway, you 'ought to go speak to your brother. He must be wondering where your grandma is."

She sighed, closing her eyes and burrowing her face in his chest. Her voice come out muffled by his shirt. "I don't wanna."

Dally brought a hand to her hair and stroked the silky, chocolate strands. He wasn't too good at comforting people, but he always liked having his hair touched. Maybe everyone was the same? _God_, he needed a cigarette.

"We all gotta do shit we don't wanna do, Princess."

Ellie looked up at him, chin digging into his chest. He scowled just for the hell of it. She knew he was only playing around.

"Go to get Soda to fix up your face." She demanded, grabbing the car keys from him again. "I can't be dating someone with such a messed up nose."

Dally pinched her cheek. "You ain't so good lookin' either, Soc. I need to find me a beautiful, exotic broad that doesn't boss me around all the time."

"Good luck with that." Ellie giggled, reaching up on her tip-toes to kiss his cheek. Then she untangled from his grip and started for her house. "I'm keeping the car until tonight, by the way."

Dallas tried not to think of how pissed Buck would be when he came home without the Thunderbird. Who knew setting a girl's car on fire would bite him in the ass?

* * *

Danny had his back to Ellie, staring down at the grave set before them. The grass hadn't grown in just yet, leaving a large rectangular patch of dirt beneath a simple stone. There weren't any flowers. No amount of guilt could persuade her to visit after the funeral.

_Annabelle Carter_

_Loving wife, mother, and grandmother._

She stared down at her bright yellow kitten heels, cheerful against the early autumn leaves that had already drifted down from the few trees. At least it wasn't raining this time; she didn't feel so much like she was going to be swallowed by the ground and buried alive.

"Why didn't you tell anyone?" Danny hissed, acknowledging his sister for the first time since she had admitted their grandmother's passing.

"I _tried_ to, but-" Ellie bit her lip to stop herself. Now wasn't the time to have a fit.

Danny took a step back, rubbing a hand over his face and through his hair. From Ellie's angle he looked almost exactly like her father.

"I need a drink." He stumbled over to a bench by the walkway. The wood on the seat creaked as he fell into it, still clutching his stomach. Ellie hesitated before joining him.

"...She had a heart attack." She explained, fiddling with her cardigan button. "I... I wasn't there when the police came to check out the house, and she must have been... scared or something."

Danny snorted dryly. "Scared? That doesn't sound like her."

"Well, her health was failing."

Ellie didn't know she was crying until Danny was awkwardly patting her back. He may have looked like her father, but he wasn't as comforting. Remembering the promise she had made herself about crying, Ellie wiped her tears away with her sleeve. "She clung on for a few hours in the hospital, but..."

Danny rested his elbows on his knees and let out a ragged sigh. "I can't believe it."

She wanted to comfort him as he had tried with her, but couldn't muster the strength to reach out. They simply weren't like that. They were born five years apart and with different genders; it seemed impossible to form a close relationship. Ellie would always be the cry-baby brat and Danny would always be the bully of a big brother. But she still loved him, deep down, and she understood the pain he must be feeling. Even if they never got along, their grandmother had been equally important in their lives.

"What the hell am I gonna do?" Danny asked himself, staring at the grave.

"There's nothing to do. She's already buried. I tried to tell our parents but no one's been in contact with me in months."

Danny glared at her. "Everyone's been busy. You have no idea what kind of crap me and Dad have been going through."

_I don't care what you're going through_, Ellie wanted to retort, _Dad chose to live that life and you chose to follow him. I didn't._

But she didn't say anything out loud. Every article of clothing she owned, every morsel of food she had eaten, everything she had ever bought, ever, all came from the choices her father made. Deep down she was still grateful for that- proud of him, even.

"Mom's pissed-" Danny went on. He sat up with a start. "Crud, sorry about the language."

Ellie nearly laughed. "Don't worry about it. Most of my friends are boys and they've long forgotten to stop swearing in front of me."

Danny groaned, reminded of the company his little sister was keeping. "Now I gotta deal with _you_ too. Maybe mother will take you in. How'd you like to live in Washington?"

"It's too late, I've already decided to live here." She said, watching the horizon as the sun began it's slow decent. The days were getting shorter.

"You can't." Danny told her as if she had said something utterly ridiculous.

Ellie got up and tapped her shoes against the cement to knock a few leaves from the bottom of her shoes. "Yes I can. I already am. Grandmother's been gone for nearly a month now and I'm doing fine."

Danny followed her through the maze of graves, back to the car. Neither wanted to be caught there when the sun set.

"Where are you getting the money for the bills?" He asked as they crawled into Buck's convertible. He jammed the key into the ignition and whistled as the car rumbled to life. It really was a hot car, but he missed his old tin-can as well.

"About that..." Ellie mumbled.

Danny shot her a look. "I swear to God, Ellie, if you're shacking up with that hood-"

"His name is Dallas." She huffed, "And he's not as bad as everyone thinks."

"He _is_, Elizabeth." Danny shot expertly down the road, one hand gripped tightly on the wheel with his other rested on the shift. The cemetery was a little ways out of the city, wedged between the suburbs and the country. It would be along ride home and frankly, she didn't want to spend it arguing about Dallas. How many times would she have to defend his honor? How many times would she have to tell people that he wasn't as bad as they thought he was? It was as if everyone saw her not as Ellie, but as the poor, innocent girl dating a delinquent. She knew what she was getting into when she accepted his class ring. She knew there were awful parts of him that she -at best- didn't approve of. There had been times when she had been scared of him, worried for him, cried over him... but there were also times where he made her laugh, made her heart fill with joy, made her feel as if a single second without him would be a fate worse than death.

"I've heard it a million times before." Ellie slid her hand out the side of the car and let the wind rush through the gaps of her fingers. Somehow the feeling soothed her frustration. "The world isn't made of good and bad people, Danny, and I'm sick of trying to convince everyone he isn't some cartoon villain."

Her brother didn't say anything more, but she had a feeling she'd finally get a call from her mother sometime soon.

"How is our mother?" Ellie asked out loud.

"She's great." Danny had a bitterness to his voice. "At least, I think so. She's run off with some lawyer."

She felt her heart drop down to her ankles.

"W-what?" Ellie mumbled, convinced she must have heard him wrong.

Danny disregarded her question. "You should see him. He's a big, ugly son-of-a-bitch, but he's rich. Mom sent me a letter with a picture attached last month." His grip on the wheel tightened. "He had Sammy in his arm, acting like he was _his_ kid, _his_ family. I couldn't even tell dad, the poor bastard."

Ellie couldn't believe it. She really couldn't. Not after everything- how could God let this happen to her? How could everything turn so rotten for no reason? She felt as if someone had reached into her chest and squeezed her heart.

"W-what do we do?"

"Nothing. It seems like all the women in the family just feel like running off with men this year."

That stung. Ellie retracted her arm and tangled her hands on her lap, feeling her eyes begin to water again. "Don't say that. I wanted to come home before, you know that."

"I know." Danny muttered dully, as if it would substitute for an apology. He glanced at her. "Jesus, Ellie, are you gonna be sick? Should I pull over?"

Ellie saw her reflection in the side mirror. Her mahogany hair was mussed from the wind and her complexion was as white as the sky on a cloudy day. Red rimmed her eyes.

"Why are you here, Danny?" Ellie asked, pinching her cheeks to get the blood flowing.

"To check up on you." He answered. "And other reasons, but with grandma... gone, It's not really relevant anymore. Where'd you hide those dufflebags?"

"Oh! You mean the guns that you forced me to be responsible over?"

"Quit your wining."

Ellie was starting to get cold. She twisted around in her seat and dug around the back seat. Picking up a sweater from the floor, she held it up to see if it was Dally's. It smelled like cigars and there was an odd, black stain running up one of the sleeves. She tossed it back.

"I hid it." She explained, curling into her seat. "I buried it behind a friend's shed and if you think for a second that I'm going to help dig it back up, you have another thing coming. You know how heavy those bags were?"

Danny's eyebrow rose. "A friend? You told someone about this?"

"Everyone knows." Ellie said, rolling her eyes. "Well, not everyone. Just the gang."

"The gang?"

"You met a few today. That was- well, you know Dallas now. But the muscle-y one is Steve, the youngest one is Ponyboy- he has two other brothers-"

"I don't want their life stories, Ellie."

She sighed and then went on to explain the whole story, from the moment her father came with the bags, the police searching their house, her grandmother's death, up until the decision to hide the bags. More than a few times she had gotten off topic and her brother had to interrupt with questions to the millions of answers he wanted.

"So now you know everything." Ellie finished. They were in the suburbs now, and Danny had to slow the car down in the narrower streets. A few blocks and they were passing Johnny's old house. It looked the same, though the grass was a little longer. A dim, flickering light was on in the kitchen and she felt a compulsion to creep up to the window to see what his parent's might be doing. Fighting, most likely, but did they still fight over their son? Did they feel bad that he had run away? Did they miss him at all?

He set her with a stern looked he had often received from his father. "Dad made me promise to keep you as far out of it, but if you want in, I'll tell you everything."

Ellie shook her head. She always had questions; about her family, about other families, about simple things and complicated things... lately she'd noticed that none of the answers where the ones she wanted.

"Don't bother." Ellie told her brother.

* * *

It was quite a surprise to see Danny get along so well with Johnny. Ellie supposed it was because, out all the company she kept, he seemed to be the least threatening. After a quick explanation that they were roommates and not at all _together_, they spent the rest of the evening watching television and fighting over something to do with baseball. Ellie couldn't pay attention long enough to know the details.

After a late dinner of leftovers, Johnny went up to his room to finish another project and Ellie started setting up the couch for Danny.

"Johnny took the guest bedroom." She explained as she spread a thin blanket over the cushions. "So it's either the couch or grandma's room."

"I'd rather take the couch." Danny admitted, pulling off his shirt and tossing it onto the coffee table. When Ellie was done he collapsed lengthwise into the couch and she threw a heavier duvet over his frame, covering his face in the process. His feet dangled off the edge.

"Hey," Ellie grabbed his bag off the floor and put it up beside his shirt. "Do you still have mom's letter?"

"The small pocket." Danny brought his head out and watched her root around the bag. "I thought you didn't want to know anything."

Ellie examined the torn envelope, starting towards the hall. "Not about you and dad and all that awful stuff... but mom is..."

She didn't finish her sentence and he didn't ask her to. Crawling up the stairs, she glanced into Johnny's room to find him with his face buried in math homework.

"Goodnight." Ellie called softly into his room.

Johnny looked up and saw her solemn face. "What's wrong? You've been weirdly quiet all evening."

"Just got a lot on my mind." She said, shrugging_. My mom ran off with a fat lawyer and I think my father's problems are getting worse._

Ellie would tell him everything eventually, but right now she just wanted to curl up in her soft bed and fantasize about sleeping away the rest of her life. She gave him a short wave and padded to her own room. Without bothering to shower, she slipped on yesterday's pajamas and a thick pair of socks before crawling under her down comforter. Taking the letter out of the envelope, she noticed a tear running through half the paper, as if someone had meant to rip it in half before thinking better of it. She unfolded it and a little square picture slid onto her chest, the same size of the Polaroid photos she had scattered on her dresser.

Danny was right, she realized as she stared into it. The man was fat and balding and not nearly as handsome as her father. Her mother -every bottle-blonde, bright smiling inch of her- was standing straight and pretty like the good wife she was. Her son was sitting in the man's arms, oblivious. Ellie traced a finger over the baby's face, smiling sadly at the full stock of brown curls atop of his head. That was his father's hair- his _real_ father's. Poor Sam didn't belong there; he belonged in Chicago. Ellie belonged in Chicago... But now she belonged in Tulsa as well.

"You look like you're going to kill yourself."

Ellie shot up and nearly let out a scream. Dallas stick his legs through her window, quickly followed by his torso and then the rest of him. He hadn't bothered to change his shirt and there was dried blood still splotched all over it.

"Are you crazy?" Ellie whispered angrily, grabbing her hairbrush off the nightstand to throw at his head. She flung the blanket away and brought her legs to the side of the bed. "What are you doing here?"

"Why are you so surprised?" Dally shrugged, stretching his arms over his head to loosen all the muscles he had strained to get up onto her roof. "I'm always coming here at night."

"My _brother_ is _downstairs_."

He kicked off his shoes and came closer, propping his arms on either side of her thighs as his face covered inches from her's. His nose was fractured, but it looked as if Soda had popped it back into place. "Doesn't the thrill of getting caught just make things hotter?"

"Ugh!" Ellie scoffed, forgetting to be quiet as she pushed him away. "You're so gross."

"You love it." Dally grabbed her ankles and tugged so that she was flung back down to the bed. He crawled on top of her slowly, his fingers running up her bare legs, over her hips, to grasp under her rib-cage. He propped his other arm above her face. Ellie couldn't help but smile. It was unexpected, but she was glad he came anyway.

"What's got you in the dumps, anyway?" He asked, thumb stroking along the underside of her breast.

She shuddered, covering his hand with her's but made no attempt to pull it away. "Nothing."

"Fuckin' terrible liar." Dallas sighed, spotting the letter by her pillow. "Who's the weird family in the photo?"

Ellie grabbed the photo and Dallas adjusted so that he laid on his side, facing her. She pointed to the woman and then to the baby. "That's my mom and my brother, Sam."

"Shit," He plucked it from her fingers and brought it loser. "Your mom's hot."

She pouted. He flicked her nose with the edge of the photograph.

"You're hot too." Dally amended, "The two of you look alike, but you got your father's hair and eyes."

Ellie laid a delicate kiss on his neck, tasted salt, and rested her head against his forearm. Choosing her words carefully, she asked, "Do you look like your parents?"

Dallas didn't answer immediately. Using only one hand, he grabbed the letter and let it slip off the side of the bed along with the photo. After, he grabbed Ellie's waist and maneuvered both of them so that they were placed comfortably down the length of the bed. Once they were settled, he pulled the duvet over and reached to flick off the lamp.

"Sorry." Ellie told him meekly, hooking a leg around his. She shouldn't have said anything. It was almost taboo to ask a person about their past on this side of the city. Everyone seemed to have skeletons that didn't need airing out. But she was curious and Dally never willingly talked about himself. Anyway, she was sick of stewing in her own problems.

Ellie felt him shrug. "Don't be. I look like my father, I suppose. I don't know my mother."

"Does- Does he ever come around?" She asked, feeling braver. "Does he live in the city?"

Dally grabbed her hand from his chest and brought it up to his hair, silently begging for her a scratch. "He's a truck driver. Last time I heard he was far down south. Are you going to ask me weird questions all night?"

"As long as you keep answering." Ellie gave in and ran her fingers through his locks, loosening the strands from the hair grease holding it all in place. Even after all this time she was still in awe at the silvery blonde color. It was natural, yet looked so unnatural. "I'm jealous of your hair. Did you get that from your father too?"

"Maybe, but his is a lot darker."

She wondered if perhaps his mother had light blonde hair. She imagined she must have been beautiful. "What's it like to grow up without her? A mother, I mean."

"Her disappearance was never a problem." Dallas answered promptly, an edge to his voice. "Hell, my father's disappearance wasn't a problem either. It's when he was around... that's when things were shitty."

Ellie felt as if his presence had drifted away, far into the past where she didn't exist. She scratched by his hair line and ran a finger along the rim of his ear, hoping it would bring him back to her. His grip on her tightened.

"Don't you miss them though?" She pressed.

"Not one bit. What about you? Do you miss your family?"

She had to search for the right answer. "In the beginning, yes. Not so much anymore."

The rough pads of his hand scraped enticingly against her spine. Ellie closed her eyes, savoring the feeling. They laid like that for a moment, bathed in sunset, quietly enjoying each other. During the day they fought to find time alone; it was a small drawback to sharing the same group of friends. Someone was always hanging about, whether it be Johnny or Two-Bit or the whole lot of them. Truthfully, neither minded. Though Dallas would be reluctant to admit it, they sought their friends company just as much as they sought each other's. It only made their time alone that much sweeter.

"Isn't it a little too early to go to bed?" Dallas mumbled eventually, reading the clock on the table. Seeing the truth in his words, she lifted her head and turned onto her belly, elbows digging into the mattress. Dally smiled as he stared up at her.

"What's got you so happy all of a sudden?" She asked, following the coy curve of his lips. There was a small cut near the corner.

His hand slid down to her ass, grabbing gently. "Just thinking of all the things we could do instead of sleep."

"I need to stop letting you into my bed." Ellie's giggle was cut off as he kissed her. It was soft and slow, befitting their play of lazy caresses. He conveyed no urgency and she was grateful. Even if she was willing, tonight didn't feel like the right time. Dally let her pull away without a fight.

"Do you think your brother is going to take you back to Chicago?" He asked, wrapping both arms around her waist and pulling her on top of him.

Ellie pressed her head against his chest, listening to the steady thrum of his heart. "I hope not. He hasn't said anything yet."

"How long will he be here?"

"I don't know." Ellie sighed, wedging her hands between his shoulders and the mattress. He was so solid compared to her; all hard lines and muscle. Watching him from afar or with other boys, he didn't seem so big, but now she noticed how her feet barely reached his and how her weight pressed against him seemed to be nothing. She lifted her head and pressed her lips to his chin in a fit of uncontrollable affection. "You'll be nice to him, won't you?"

Dallas scowled, an expression that she was beginning to associate with stubbornness. "He broke my nose."

"And he's been clutching his stomach where you kicked him all day." Ellie retorted, clicking her tongue as Dally smiled. "He's my brother, Dally. You shouldn't have fought him in the first place. I want my family to like you."

"Tell that to your brother!" Dally's voice grew. "He's the one that started it."

She clapped a hand over his mouth, shushing him.

Dallas wrenched it away but lowered his tone. "What do I care about your brother? Your father already hates me, Ellie. That ship already sailed."

"He does not hate you. He's just... very protective." Ellie pouted, wiggling her arm free to stuff it back underneath him. "Promise you'll at least try to smooth things over before he leaves?"

Dallas rolled his eyes. "Jesus, stop pouting would you?"

She made a show of licking her lips, biting the bottom, before letting it slide out into a more prominent pout, adding puppy-eyes for affect.

"You look fucking stupid." He snorted, but kissed her anyway. Ellie could taste his frustration as he explored her mouth, hot and rougher than before. Inhaling sharply, she felt a mild pain bloom across her lower lip- he had bitten down on it just before pulling away.

Ellie stared, dumbfounded at him. She knew he hadn't broken the skin; the pain was so dull it was gone a moment after, but she was still surprised he had even done such a thing.

Dallas ran his thumb along the small marks his teeth had made. "I told you to stop pouting."

She bit down on it without warning. Snatching his finger away, he let out a low hiss as a red streak began to emerge on the side where her canine caught it.

"How does it feel?" Ellie sniffed indignantly.

Dallas grabbed her ass and flipped her so that she laid trapped underneath him, forcing her legs to cradle his side. Ellie squealed, bunching his shirt in her fists.

"Only makes me want you more." He admitted, shifting his hips. Her mouth fell open and he captured her lips, leaving little doubts of his intentions. Ellie shivered underneath, her boldness fading until there was nothing left but timid innocence. A feeling overcame him, something wicked and evil, yet full of yearning. Dallas devoured her with his tongue in the way he wanted to devour her soul, mind and body until she was nothing but a wonderful memory. And he could do it. She was weak against him, easily tossed and molded into whatever position he wanted. He just had to keep on, ignore the way her hand pressed against his shoulder, and eventually she'd stop resisting and enjoy it.

But Dallas wouldn't do it- couldn't do it. He could steal, rob, loot, fight, and he had no problem harassing random girls on the street. But somehow he had convinced himself that Ellie deserved more than that.

He kissed Ellie's forehead, frightened that she had somehow heard his cruel thoughts. "I won't do it again if you don't like it."

"What?" She asked, flushed and confused. Her hand slid against his cheek and then into his hair. She seemed to sense his sudden change in mood.

Dallas crawled off her and wedged himself against the wall. Embarrassed as to how soft he had sounded, he cleared his throat and tried to imitate casualty in his tone. "Bite your lip, idiot."

"Actually," Ellie giggled, her cheeks reddening. "I kind of liked it."

Her hand crawled up his torso, tickling his skin as she hooked her leg around his again. Ellie was always touching him in one way or another, but to be fair, Dallas was just as hands-y. Only this time there was nothing but a thread of self-control left. Even the feel of her heart beating against him was enough to snap it.

"Do you know anything about Physics?" Ellie asked after a while.

His eyebrow rose. "What?"

"Johnny's really behind on his Physics homework but I'm not good enough in that subject to help him."

With his hand still positioned over her ass, Dallas gave it a soft pinch and grumbled, "You're thinking of other boys while you're with me?"

"I think about Johnny all the time." Ellie scoffed, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"Should I be jealous?" He asked half-halfheartedly, resisting the urge to pull out a cigarette. He didn't begrudge them of their closeness- it was something that he had accepted long ago. Those were kinds of things people didn't have control over. If anything, Dallas was grateful they had each other. Johnny gave Ellie everything he would never be able to give her.

"You should never be jealous, Dally." She answered breezily. "It's not like I sleep in his bed... well, except that one time."

He knew she had only added the last scented to get a rise out of him. It worked just the same.

"What?" Dallas growled, grabbing her waist as she tried to sit up. They wrestled for a moment, Ellie's laughter ringing like bells in his ears, until she was seated in his lap with her back pressed against his chest. He held her tightly, her arms folded and trapped to her front. "What're you tryna' say, bitch?"

"Dallas!" Ellie gasped, struggling futilely. "Don't call me that!"

He kissed her neck apologetically and grumbled against her warm skin. "Do I need to go across the hall and beat him up?"

"No." She titled her head to accommodate him. "I don't how you could possibly be jealous. It's not like I have boys lining up for a chance to date me."

"Yeah? What about the football player?"

Ellie grabbed his hand where it rested on her stomach and brought it up to cup her breast. He could feel her heart beating fast underneath the warm flesh.

"There's only you, dummy."

* * *

Ellie woke up just as the sun was slipping out from under the windowsill. Dally was sound asleep, his hair golden in the morning light and his hand still under her shirt. She kissed his nose and crawled out of bed, careful not to disturb him.

Creeping across the hall, Ellie cracked Johnny's bedroom door open to check on him, an old habit from when he was still too beaten up to walk. He too was asleep. The desk by his dresser was covered in school work and the floor was covered in piles of laundry. At some point during the night, Lady had gotten in and was now curled up to Johnny's side. Her snowy fur shone like a beacon in the dark room.

Satisfied to see he was still safe and sound, Ellie shut the door and went down the stairs to the kitchen. She had been to upset to eat well during dinner last night and now she was starving for breakfast. The fridge was still decently stocked with eggs and bacon, though her bread supply was dwindling. It was Saturday and she usually cooked breakfast for the Curtis' on the weekends, plus the three boys in her house...all of them ate like black holes and she could only hope there was enough to fill them.

"You know how to cook?" Danny asked, coming into the kitchen as she poured the eggs into a pan to be scrambled. He was showered and dressed in a new outfit, his bag clutched in one hand.

Ellie turned to smile at him. "Most easy things, yes. Did you sleep okay on the couch?"

"Sure." He sat down at the kitchen table and brought out a cigarette packet, tapping one out into the linoleum surface. "You sleep okay with your boyfriend coming in through your window in the middle of the night?"

She froze, one hand in a drawer to pull out the spatula. "W-what are you talking about?"

"Please, I heard him climbing up the downspout and your giggling woke up the whole street." Danny lit up and she didn't have the courage to tell him to put it out. Instead she stared at the frying pan of eggs and hoped, by some miracle, she could go back in time to when she was five and boys had cooties and her brother had no idea she'd ever grow up to be _this_.

"Dad mentioned him to me once or twice, you know." He went on, burning through his smoke rapidly. "He didn't like him, but Dad's never been too fond of Winstons in the first place. Frankly, I don't like him either. He's got the kind of face that's just begging for a punch, you know?"

Ellie sighed and scraped the eggs onto a plate, steaming, yellow and perfect. She began another batch without acknowledging her brother's words.

"I saw you two outside yesterday." He went on, starting up on his second cigarette. He always chain smoked in the morning to make up for the time he lost sleeping. "At first I was pretty pissed. It was disgusting, watching that bastard touch you. It wasn't right. You're my baby sister, for God's sake. It feels like only yesterday when you were still playing with dolls and crying about everything."

"I still cry about everything." She interrupted, spreading out tinfoil on a baking pan.

Danny shrugged. "It's different. You're _Ellie_. Our parents dedicated their lives to keep you in a safe little bubble. You're nice and stuff, but you're naive and overly-trusting. I was worried before, that he had tricked you into thinking he's better than he really is. But...I came here and you're not the same as you were in Chicago."

Ellie faced her brother. She felt frightened by his words- what they mean't. Never in her entire life had Danny said so much to her and she was suddenly wishing he'd stop.

"Don't be silly." She grabbed her elbows and pressed up against the counter. "I've been the exact same person this whole time."

"No..." He shook his head lethargically, watching her. "No, you're different now. Maybe you're not as naive and helpless as I thought. Or at least you were, but aren't anymore... Sending you to Tulsa was a mistake. But it's done now, and you're different. You're growing up."

"What are you trying to tell me?" Ellie asked, grabbing the plate of eggs and seating herself in the chair opposite him. He was on his third cigarette now. The bottom of yesterday's coffee mug was coated in blackish grey ashes.

"I'm telling you that you're staying in Tulsa."

"I... am?"

Danny sat up. "You are- although, I don't make the final decision. I have to tell dad about grandma's passing, but I'll avoid telling mother. I haven't spoken to her since the letter so it won't be too hard. Get me a plate, will you? I'm starving to death over here."

Ellie got up and pulled out a plate and utensils, setting them in front of her brother. He grabbed the fork and plunged it into the eggs.

"I've got bacon in the oven and I'm planning to make toast." Ellie told him, "Don't you want to wait for those?"

"I've got to catch the ten o'clock train."

Ellie blinked, confused. "You're leaving? You just got here!"

"Well, I was supposed to speak to grandmother about some things with the business. But with her gone, I've got to rearrange some things with dad."

"How is he, anyway?" She asked, watching him scarf down half the plate of eggs. She'd have to make more.

"In prison."

Ellie felt the blood drain from her face. Grabbing the edge of the table to keep steady, she asked, "How?"

"He signed a deal." Danny explained, "He admitted to some things and I got released. I thought you didn't want to hear about this stuff?"

Ellie couldn't think of anything to say. She felt numb, as if the world has stopped turning and nothing was real. Her father was in prison. Her _father_ was in _prison_. She tried to imagine him, strong and tall and intelligent, surrounded by thugs and murderers. She wanted to cry.

Lord and Lady came trotting into the kitchen, one after another. Danny brought his hand down and gave Lord a long, affectionate scratch behind the ear. Ellie remembered when her brother was younger; how he'd take Lord everywhere he went. They were always getting into fights, human and dog alike. The rottweiler lost half an ear for it once, fighting another boy's feral husky.

Johnny and Dallas came down not long after. Dally was shirtless and sporting a bad case of bedhead; he must have forgotten he was an unwelcome guest.

Danny got up and flung his bag over his shoulder. "I better head out."

"Y-you should stick around. The Curtis' are coming by." Jump started out of her stupor, Ellie went back to the stove to make sure none of the food was burning. "You'll like them."

"I can't wait around any longer." Danny stuck out his hand for Johnny to shake. "It was nice to meet you. Take care of her, will you?"

"Honestly, I think she's the one taking care of me." Johnny grasped his hand anyway. They exchanged pleasant smiles.

Then Danny turned to Dallas. A sneer ghosted across his face. "I'd tell you to stay away from my baby sister, but I have a feeling that'll just encourage you."

"Probably." Dally yawned.

Both Carter children rolled their eyes. Danny stuck his hand out to Dallas. "I'm not afraid to kill a man, Winston. Just remember that."

His broken nose still smarting, Dallas shook the man's hand. He had a certain respect for those who could kick his ass.

* * *

**Wow! I updated and it hasn't even been, like, a year! I spoil you guys rotten! ;)**

**Anyway! Just a continuation of where the last chapter left off. In short, Dallas gets his ass kicked, Ellie has to face the slow decay of her family, and Johnny's just... stuck doing homework. Also Dallas gets to fondle Ellie. Fun!**

**Tell me what you guys think!**

**I know not a WHOLE lot is happening right now but things are going to speed up rather quickly in the next few chapters, so bare with me!**

**Love you all so very much and thank you for the reviews!**


	30. California Waiting

30.

_God, she never shuts up._ Dallas thought, exhausted. On and on she went, subject after subject, her wide mouth stretching and closing and pursing. She had small, white teeth that would peak out from between her lips when she smiled or scowled. He began to count the freckles across her cheeks and nose- there were thirty in total, some too faint to be noticed unless he squinted. Then he noticed the slope of her nose and the way it widened significantly and tipped upwards at the end; the apples of her cheeks as she grinned; the tiny mole hidden just underneath her chin. He couldn't even recognize the topic Ellie was talking about, but it had something to do with school.

"You're so annoying." Dallas admitted finally, feeling like he wanted to kiss and throttle her at the same time. Ellie had his hand captured as they strolled down the street and that didn't help his disposition either.

She rolled her eyes. "Don't be so moody, I'm just trying to help. Getting a G.E.D. isn't as hard as it sounds."

"Go bother Soda with it then." He pulled out a cigarette carton from his pocket. One glance inside told him they were crushed and broken from last night. He tossed the whole thing on the sidewalk; some kid would stumble upon it later and fool around with what was salvageable.

"I'll drop it, then." Ellie sighed, glancing back at the carton wearily. When she turned forward again she looked resigned but not unhappy. "What's your plans today?"

"Get more cigarettes." He thought out loud. "Then probably swing by Tim's. Haven't seen him in a week and he starts chewing through the sofa if I don't let him out to piss."

Ellie smiled. "I doubt that. You're not going to get up to any trouble, are you?"

Dallas didn't answer, pulling her towards a little mom-and-pop convenience store. A little bell tinkled above as they entered and a giraffe-like woman glanced up from her magazine to eye first him, and then her. After a moment she dismissed them and began to read again.

"You want anything?" Dallas asked. It was a small store and the few isles were lined thinly and bulging with items. He brought her through the back first, filled with freezers full of ice-cream and ice-sickles and a singular glass-faced refrigerator cooling pops and a few jugs of milk.

"I probably shouldn't." She sighed, following him through a isle of canned goods, then through a row of chips and other savory goods. "I think I'm gaining weight with all the unhealthy food Soda cooks. If I eat another piece of chocolate cake I won't fit my skirts anymore."

Dallas looked down at her. "You look the same as always, crazy broad. Just get something."

"You're such a sweet-talker, Dally. I bet girls just throw themselves at you." Ellie's sarcasm was thinly-veiled, but she was smiling none the less.

He stopped. They were pressed in between an isle of daily items and souvenirs. He twisted around so that they were face to face, one hand still tangled in her's and the other on her cheek. "Oh, Elizabeth, you're the most beautiful girl-no, lady I've ever laid eyes on."

Her smile twisted into a scowl and she ground the feel of her kitten heel into his shoe. Dallas yelped and she took the opportunity to pass him.

"You're a jerk, Dallas."

He caught Ellie around the waist before she could get away, singing in her ear, "_But soft! What light through yonder window breaks? It is the East, and Ellie is the sun! Arise, fair sun, and kill the envious moon-"_

A burst of laughter exploded from her.

"What's so funny?" He growled playfully, poking her side and earning another bout of giggles. "I'm tryn'a woo you, woman!"

Ellie turned her head and smiled at him, her cheeks pink with joy. "How do you even have that memorized?"

"I heard it in school." Dallas shrugged. "Figured reciting it to girls would get me laid more."

He let her untangle from his arms, only to capture his hand again. He held back a sigh. He'd rather have an arm slung around her, but if holding her hand would make Ellie happy then he'd just have to beat up anyone who made fun of him for it. Relationships blew.

"Did it work?" She asked, taking them down the next row of sweets.

"What?"

"Reciting Shakespeare to girls."

"Hell yeah." Dallas scoffed, picking up a packet of Milk Duds and pressing it into her hand. It wasn't the truth. He had never had a problem getting under a girl's skirt during the off periods of his on-and-off relationship with Sylvia, but he hadn't ever had to recite anything. He wasn't exactly movie-star handsome, but girls loved bad boys and he was one of the best in town. Shakespeare would just make them think he was soft.

Ellie was silent as they made their way up to the counter. She placed the candy down, Dallas passed the cashier a few cents for it and they left.

"Dallas..." Ellie fell in beside him as they strolled down the street. She had a funny way of turning into a little mouse when she was nervous. "Have you really thought about... how it would be, dating me? I mean... have you really thought this through?"

Dally's eyebrows furrowed. "Not really. Just figured I didn't want you to leave and I didn't want any other guy sniffing around you so I better give you my ring. Where the hell are you going with this?"

"No where." Ellie decided, and she donned a stiff little smile. The Milk Duds rattled in their box with every step she took. "Thanks for the candy."

"Thanks for covering me." Dallas pulled out a new carton of cigarettes from his jacket pocket. "I should bring a Soc every time I steal."

She nearly stumbled. "Dallas! When the heck did you do that? I was with you the whole time!"

"Somewhere in between you getting fat off chocolate cake and me reciting Shakespeare."

"Dallas." Ellie said in reprimand, pinching the bridge of her nose. "Then how come you didn't steal the candy too?"

"You would have given me shit for stealing them for you."

"I'm giving you sh- ugh!" She let out a loud moan and began to walk faster, tugging him along. "Why does everyone always wrap me up in their crimes?"

Dallas rolled his eyes. "It's not like I killed someone."

She shook her head and sighed again.

They walked a little longer, stopping at a two storey movie theatre a few blocks past the convenience store. It's walls were made up of thick red bricks and it had a sign sticking out in a triangle above the entrance. Angel, Penny, and Sandy were waiting outside.

"Awe!" Angel crowed at the sight of them hand in hand. "Ellie and Dallas, sitting in a tree, K-I-S-S-I-N-G!"

Dallas flipped her the bird and Ellie tried to swing their arms back and forth exaggeratedly, but he wouldn't let her.

"Get goin'." He told Ellie, "before she remembers the rest of that rhyme."

Stifling a giggle, she pecked him on the cheek, whispered a goodbye and fled to her friends. Dallas turned around and started back into the suburbs. His skin crawled the whole walk back, and he kept asking himself how he got into such a fucking mess.

He wasn't even getting _laid, _for fuck's sake.

* * *

Johnny was crouched over the counter inside the small store attached to the gas station and garage of the DX. It was a cold sunday and he hadn't seen a customer in over two hours. He had been reading one of Pony's book to pass the time: _The Rievers._ It was funny and interesting, but he had been reading all day and the words were beginning to run straight through his head.

"What'cha doin'?" Soda drawled, coming in through the door connected to the garage. A loud grinding was sounding in the far back and Soda's freshly washed uniform was covered in grease.

"What're _you _doing?" Johnny repeated back to him, trying to catch a glimpse of anything through the door. "I thought you were supposed to fix cars, not butcher them."

Soda snagged a piece of jerky out of the inventory along the register and peeled off the rapper. "We got bored. All week we've been getting shit cars with small problems. There isn't even a demand for any parts."

"There hasn't been any customers either." Johnny sighed, dropping _The Rievers _on the counter. His head was starting to hurt. "Think we can close up early today?"

"No way in hell." Soda scanned the front cover. "What's this?"

"It's Pony's. It's about some kid stealing his grandfather's car with his uncles or something. It's funny."

The grinding in the garage came to a halt and there was a clang of metal falling against metal.

"Funny!" Soda waved his hand and scoffed. "How can a thousand letters strung together be funny? Now, Lenny Bruce, he's a funny man."

"Lenny Bruce is shit." Steve shook his head as he joined them in the store, rubbing grease off his hands with a dirty old rag that hadn't been changed since they started working there. He grabbed the rest of the jerky in Soda's hand and shoved it in his mouth. The room was filled with the sound of his chewing.

Johnny grabbed a box of cokes at their feet and passed the boys to the other side of the counter. "What's wrong with Lenny Bruce?" He asked over his shoulder, approaching the refrigerator where they stored the cold drinks.

"Don't get even ask." Soda warned, leafing through the pages of _The Rievers. _"My shift ends in an hour and a half and if he starts on it now, we'll be here until midnight."

Steve grabbed a cigarette packet from the stand. "I got my goddamn reasons-"

"And nobody wants to hear them." Soda smiled, punching his friend on the shoulder. "You better pay for that or we'll all get our wages docked ten times more than it's worth."

"The owner won't notice." Steve assured them, taking a long, deep drag. "He hasn't even been in all week."

Johnny snorted as he replenished their stock of cokes on the top shelf of the fridge. The owner of the DX was an ominous figure in his life, heard of but never seen. Once in a blue moon, he came by in the mornings, but he and Johnny's paths hadn't crossed since the day he was hired. None of the boys could even remember his name.

They heard the distinct sound of tires crunching against the concrete outside. Their first customer in months.

"I'll go." Steve offered over-eagerly, and the two other boys watched him scramble to the door.

Johnny stacked another drink into the fridge. "You think we should have warned him about the grease on his face?"

"...Naw."

Soda went back to leafing through the book while Johnny went behind the counter to pick up a new box. Lugging it back to the fridge, he started replenishing the next row down with _7-Up._ It didn't take very long before the front door opened and a girl walked in. Johnny half expected it to be Ellie, back from the theatre with no where else to go but hang out at the DX. But it wasn't her. It was a skinny-legged girl with her midnight hair cut above her ears. She didn't pay them any attention as she browsed the array of snacks, her finger running across the edge of chip bags and over the tops of candy bins. She didn't seem to be looking for anything particular.

Johnny tore his gaze away, intending to start up his work again, but Soda somehow managed to catch his attention instead. He nudged his head towards the her, wiggling his eyebrows. Johnny scrunched up his face in retaliation. She was cute in a kind-of sporty, casual way, like she'd make a good friend as much as he'd make a good girlfriend... he just didn't feel like harassing people today. But Soda was insistent, nudging his head again and again- Johnny was beginning to wonder how the girl hadn't noticed them yet.

'_Shut up.' _He mouthed, hiking the box of sodas higher on his knee where it rested. Turning away from his friend, he placed a few more drinks on the shelf and started collapsing the cardboard to toss into the garbage out back.

"Hey, Johnny-" Sodapop called out. Johnny jerked around to face the counter and his elbow rammed into something- _someone_. A shout rang out in the small store. The girl was clutching her face behind him, chanting '_ow, ow, ow_' as her voice grew higher and higher. The box of M&amp;Ms she was planning to buy had fallen to the floor, it's contents scattered across the linoleum.

"Shi-" Johnny caught himself, "I-I'm sorry!"

The girl didn't seem to care whether he was apologizing or not. "It _hurts_!"

He turned his head to send Soda for ice, but the boy had disappeared.

"Here!" Johnny grabbed a coke from the refrigerator, accidently knocking another down to shatter on the floor. The girl screamed and they both jumped back, but Johnny got most of the damage on his jeans and sneakers.

"Smooth going." She snapped, snatching the drink from him and pressing it to the side of her nose.

Johnny didn't know what to do or say. He wished Soda hadn't run off- he would have been able to find the right words to fix the situation. Or at least smile at her. All girls loved Soda's smile.

"Sorry." He repeated meekly.

After a painful moment or two, her anger depleted and she cracked a grin. His awkwardness must have been a funny sight.

"It's okay." She sighed, "It probably won't bruise. You sure do know how to make a fool out of yourself, don't you?"

"Uh...Yeah?" Johnny scratched the back of his head. "I'm real sorry. You can have another box of M&amp;Ms on me, if- if you want. You can even keep the coke. I'm real sorry, miss-"

"-Pam." She interrupted. "My name's Pam."

"R-Right." He could only guess how red his face was. Pam was just about the same height as he was and she had a funny way of staring right into his eyes like she was trying to read his mind. He started. "O-oh, do you need to sit down or something? We got a chair behind the counter- I'll go grab it."

Pam grabbed his wrist before he could dart off. "It's okay, really. I linger any longer you might have a seizure and then I'll definitely miss my flight."

"Flight?" Johnny asked without thinking. He'd always wanted to fly on a plane but a ticket would cost more money than he had ever touched in his life.

"To California." Pam went on, pulling the can away to touch the tender pink flesh under her eye. "You ever been?"

He shook his head. "Never been out of Oklahoma."

"Well, it's not as great as everyone thinks it is." She caught the crestfallen look on his face and added, "Though it's still better than Tulsa, that's for sure."

"Anywhere's better than Tulsa."

Pam laughed and it sounded odd; as if it belonged to a child and not a young woman. She nodded and started towards the door. "That's true. See you around, Clutz."

"Wait!" Johnny leaped across the store and grabbed a box of M&amp;Ms off the counter, nearly spilling more merchandise. He handed it to her with a sloppy, puppy-dog grin.

Laughing again, she took the candy and dropped it into her purse. Then she produced a pen and grabbed the palm of his hand, scribbling words out in black, watery ink.

"Your number?" Johnny choked, sure his face was the color of a firetruck.

"Only if you want it." Pam shrugged as she stored away the pen. "I'll be back by February and I'll tell you all about California."

She left, jogging across the gas station to crawl into the back of a station wagon. Johnny watched at the door until the car was on the road and out of sight.

"Oh man!" Steve shouted, pushing up from under the counter. He must have gone all the way around the building and entered through the garage. "I thought you blew it after you spilled all that coke!"

Soda came up after him. He made to say something but broke into coughs from his own laughter. Steve slapped him on the back and started laughing as well.

Johnny stared down at the floor; there were little chocolate drops crushed into a puddle of coke and a cardboard box half soaked in the corner.

"You guys are assholes."

* * *

Dallas had gone straight home to shower. He never took one after sleeping at Ellie's, and it'd been three days in a row now. Usually he didn't really keep track of his personal hygiene, but he had been helping out at Slash-J's ranch for some extra cash and Ellie was constantly nagging about the smell of manure on her bedsheets.

When he came back downstairs, freshly washed and clad in a new set of -_probably _clean- clothes, Tim was waiting by the bar. Dallas wasn't the least bit surprised to see him. Tim had some kind of crazy, magic timing that always put him in the right place at the right time. Unfortunately for the good samaritans of Tulsa, he used his powers for bad.

"I heard about your fight at The Dingo." Tim started conversationally, sipping on a cold beer that he had likely helped himself to. "You got your ass kicked."

Dallas sat down beside him. He grabbed the far edge of the bar and pulled back to stretch. "I heard you've had some trouble with the Socs a few nights ago. Heard Curly got_ his_ ass kicked. They always get too brave during the colder months."

Tim clicked his tongue and took another sip of his beer. "That's 'cause they're all coming back from their summer homes and they don't got nothing better to do until they got off to hawaii for their winter vacations."

"We'll keep 'em busy." Dallas promised with a grin. He hated Socs, but without Socs he wouldn't have anywhere to channel all his energy. If they wanted to cruise into their territory and start shit, he was more than glad to be their opposition.

"It's different this time." Tim said, and Dally couldn't tell whether he was excited or worried. "They're more rowdy this season. Curly's sayin' they weren't just tryn'a jump him, they were tryn'a kill him."

"Curly's a coward." Dallas told him, sliding off the seat to grab his own beer. "They probably came at him with a butter knife."

Tim stopped nursing his beer and started up a cigarette instead. He puffed on it silently until Dally sat back down.

"Doesn't matter." Shepard tapped a few ashes onto the already filthy floor. "I'll let the kids handle the Socs. I've got bigger problems with the River Kings."

Dallas made a mental reminder to get Buck to clean this dump up. It was _his_ decision to make a damn bar in the house and throw parties every weekend. Everything was sticky with beer and reeking of cigarettes and pot.

"I thought you got the Brumly Boys on your side." He supplied off-handedly, taking a long chug of his drink. The River Kings had been treading on Shepard and Brumly territory for the past few weeks, and if Dallas was going to be honest, Tim was getting his ass handed to him. So were the Brumly Boys, and just last friday they had all sat down in Buck's bar and made an agreement to work together against their common enemy. It would have been a good idea if the River Kings weren't ten times bigger than both of them combined. They were more serious as well; they weren't just a gang of friends causing trouble for the hell of it. They were the real deal- or at least, they were aiming to be.

"They're fuckin' useless." Tim growled, and his temper began to show under his cool, unfazed exterior. "They're more interested in fighting each other than they are tryin' to get at the River Kings."

Dallas leaned his side up against the counter. He chewed on his words for a moment. "How'd... Let's say I could give you a little boost with things? You know, sell you some stuff."

This caught Tim's attention. He snubbed out his cigarette on the side of his beer and stared dubiously at his friend. "What kind of shit?"

"Guns. A hell of a lot of guns." He was going to be in so much shit if Ellie found out. But what were the chances of that, anyway? She wasn't involved in gangs, and she wouldn't speak to Shepard if she knew what was good for her. If she was going to let them rot in the dirt and never look at them again, then it wouldn't hurt her to dig 'em up and sell them. Hell, maybe he'd even cut her some of the profit and get her something. A car, if he was feeling particularly nice.

"Guns!" Tim repeated with amusement. "Where the hell did you get guns from? Slash starting up a new business that I don't know about?"

Dallas shrugged. "Ain't none of your business where I got it from. Do you want them or not?"

"Are they hot?" He asked, "Really, Dal, where the fuck did you get them?"

"Have you ever used a gun that wasn't hot?"

"Dallas." Tim looked like he was about to start a fight. "Is someone going around selling shit on my territory?"

"Yeah, you fuckin' idiot." Dallas shot back, "_Me_. You want them or not?"

Tim sucked on his teeth, contemplating. "Let me see them."

"Not 'til I know you want to buy them." There was no way in hell Dallas was going to dig up that hole again.

"Screw that." Tim grumbled, starting up a new cigarette. "Not until I know where you got them."

Dallas shrugged. "Forget about it then. I'll just sell it to someone else."

"I hear you so much as talking to a River King, Winston, and I'll slit your throat while you sleep."

Dallas shrugged again. "Might as well do it now then."

He didn't have any intention to go to the River Kings. He had caught Tim's interest and now all he had to do was wait until he took the bait.

Tim took a moment to reel back his anger. By the time he spoke again he had finished his second cigarette. Even then there was an edge to his tone.

"How's that pretty little Soc you got?" He asked, "She bored of you yet?"

Now it was Dally's turn to feel the surge of anger under his skin, heating his blood until it was scorching the flesh underneath. "Shut the fuck up, Shepard. You think you're the only one capable of slitting throats in the middle of the night?"

But it seemed as if Tim didn't feel like playing the same game he used to play with Sylvia.

"Sounds like someone's in love." He said instead, sounding very much pleased to have the upper hand again.

"Love?" The word was foreign in Dally's mouth, yet his anger was quickly replaced by an onslaught of crippling fear. A million curses bubbled up in his throat. "Fuck that!"

Tim's eyebrow rose. "That was convincing."

"I ain't in love with anybody." Dallas tried again, finding some control over his expression. _He wasn't. _But the thought of it- the thought of giving Ellie that power over him- was frightening to imagine. What the hell did love have to do with it anyway? He was only a teenager, for fuck's sake. He wasn't about to get married and have kids.

"She in love with you?"

"I fucking hope not." He replied, but the more he thought about it, the calmer he felt. It was cruel, to want her to love him without any intention of loving her back. But he wanted it anyway and found he didn't feel any shame about it either.

Tim got up and rounded the bar, fishing around for something else to sip on. It was three in the afternoon- a little too early to be drinking at all, but when had that ever stopped them?

"You know it's bound to happen." He continued, pulling a bottle of whiskey out from the shelf. "Girls like that aren't looking for a fling."

Dallas took another chug from his beer. "How the hell would you know? Have you ever even dated someone? Or do you only fuck girls that are already taken?"

"I've dabbled." Tim replied smoothly, scanning the bar for a clean glass. "Always ends in tears."

_Probably_, Dallas acknowledged silently. He was no stranger to making girls cry, Ellie especially. But what could he do? Date her forever just to avoid hurting her feelings? It wasn't as if breaking up would be the end of the world. They'd still see each other all the damn time. She'd still be living with Johnny and he'd still be around to piss her off. She'd been around for so long now he couldn't imagine her actually gone. They'd just go back to how they used to be before they started dating... He could remember all the hours he spent then, stewing in jealousy and unreasonable anger.

If they broke up it would go back to exactly how it used to be, except she wouldn't get to date any fucking football players. Not while Dallas was still lurking around.

Shepard opened the bottle and poured himself a hearty helping of whiskey. He nudged the bottle suggestively at Dallas and he nodded permission. Tim grabbed another glass without checking it's state of cleanliness and poured another drink for his friend.

"How's she in the sack?"

Dallas took a sip of whiskey and forced down a wince. It was rotten stuff, but it got the job done. "She's alright."

"Come on now," Tim grinned pervertedly from over the rim of his glass. "Don't hold back, Winston. The whole point of dating an innocent virgin is to ruin the innocent virgin. What the hell happened if you don't want to talk about it? You make her cry or something?"

Dallas took another, longer drink and couldn't hold back his distaste this time. "It was fine, alright? Nothing freaky happened and I didn't make her cry. We just did it. What the hell did you expect to happen? A fucking angel came down from heaven and told her she was going to hell, Shepard. You happy now?"

Tim blinked at him. Then his grin widened and he slammed his drink against the bar, nearly spilling. "You goddamn sucker. You haven't slept with her!"

"Shut up, Shepard." Dallas sighed, fingers itching for a cigarette- or to punch Tim in the face. He grabbed his new packet and stuck one in his mouth, using Tim's lighter he left on the bar.

"This is fucking priceless." Tim laughed, holding his side. "Oh man! Wait 'til everyone gets a load of this! Dallas Wintson has been dating the Soc for- what? Two months? Two and a half? Hell, longer than that! You two have been flirting with each other since the moment she stepped into town! It's been nearly a year! And you still haven't stuck it in her? For fuck's sake, Dallas, are you sure you aren't in love?"

Dallas finished off his whiskey and then chugged down the rest of his beer. He wasn't going to fuel Shepard's glee with an answer- mostly because he didn't have one. Why the hell he was waiting around for a broad to open her legs, he had no idea.

Tim leaned back against the ledge where they kept most of the booze, his back just touching a half empty bottle of vodka. He stared smugly at his friend. "Goddamn. I never thought I'd see Dallas Winston going soft for a Soc, of all things."

Soft? No, the world had made sure to strip all softness from Dallas a long time ago. His mother, his father, poverty, abandonment, prison. Ellie wasn't some weak spot he had developed unknowingly. She was something he wanted. Whether it was in bed or simply in his life, it didn't matter. He wanted her and so she was his. And if any other piece of shit wanted her he'd have to go through Dallas. And if Ellie wanted to go... then he'd cut his losses and move on to some other broad that _did_ put out. It wasn't that complicated.

"You better not let any of those River Kings kill you, Shepard." Dallas grumbled. "'Cause there's no other man in this country with more right to that than me."

Tim snorted. "You'll have to tell that to my father."

* * *

**Before I say anything, I want to give everyone fair ****_WARNING_******.  
**There are going to be some sexual bits in this story starting now. What chapters they show up, I won't tell you. However, for those who'd rather not read it, I'll put up a warning (Look for ****) Before and then after the content. Though honestly none of it is going to be very explicit/smutty. I included these scenes not for the purpose of getting you guys all hot and bothered but to create a more realistic relationship between E/D. That being said, I'm not guaranteeing ANYTHING. Will they ever have sex? Maybe not. Will they do _other_ stuff? Maybe... **

**Anyway, now that that's over!  
Thank you everyone for your beautiful, lovely, awesome reviews, once again! I can always count on you guys to make me get all feeling-sy when I read your reviews. I'm so so glad to hear everyone has aspects of my story that keeps you coming back. You even notice small things that I didn't think anyone would care about! Honestly, everything you guys tell me means so much. I hope you guys are getting the same amount of feels back as you guys give me!**

**How'd you guys like this chapter? For some reason I really like throwing girls at Johnny and seeing what he does with them. Honestly dating won't be a huge thing with his plot-line, but it's fun to watch him squirm once in a while. Also, Dallas knows Shakespeare (literally just that line) and goes behind Ellie's back. What a d-bag.**

**See you guys next time!**


	31. Supersoaker

31.

"I _told_ you!" Dallas hissed, chest heaving as he glared at his boss. He was sitting atop Ruby, dripping in sweat and sweltering in his training outfit. It must have been a hundred degrees in the old, squat arena Slash-J used to train his horses. Dally slid off Ruby and ripped the helmet from his head, slamming it into the dirt. "Are you fuckin' blind, Slash? Ruby-"

"-Spring." Slash corrected in an exhausted drawl, suggesting he had done so a million times before. He wedged his thumbs in between his massive belly and the waistband of his dirty jeans. "You ever thought that maybe it was you that wasn't performing good enough?"

Dallas jabbed a finger at Ruby. Her head was tossed to the side, her nose nuzzled up against her abdomen. "Look at her! I'm telling you, Slash, she's goddamn sick! She could hardly finish that last lap- You need to call a fuckin' vet!"

"Do I look like I'm made out of money? You think the vet's free?" Buck tossed Ruby a mandatory glance and shook his head. He couldn't see any symptoms, but Dallas could. It was _him_ that spent nearly every day with her; cleaning out the stall, feeding, grooming, taking her out to graze. She was unenergized, eating more, and there was ...something different- something wrong. Dallas couldn't say exactly what was happening to Ruby, but he could feel an urgency in his gut.

Slash's attention was stolen by another Jockey, a man of twenty that was so green he had spent his first year of employment strictly cleaning shit from the stables. Today had been the first day he'd been allowed on a horse and he had somehow managed to get his foot tangled in the stirrup.

"You!" Slash boomed from across the arena. "Get off that goddamn horse! What the hell are you doing?"

Dallas grabbed his boss' arm before he could get away. "What about Ruby?"

"It's name is Spring, Winston, and it's my damn horse to do with what I like." Slash-J wretched his hand away and readjusted the black, misshapen cowboy hat that covered his balding head. He coughed dry and deep. "She'll be fine by the time her next race comes around."

"And if she's not?" The teen persisted. He broke his glare to pet Ruby's muzzle as she nudged his shoulder blade. She was begging for a treat but he didn't have any with him.

"She will be." Slash thought for a moment and then added, "She better be."

Dallas knew what _that_ mean't. Fear was something he felt rarely- and not very often since his father had gone away. But he could feel it then, like coils of lead thrumming in his veins, racing eagerly towards his heart. It was a funny feeling; so very close to anger.

"Fuck you, man." Hands shaking, Dally grabbed Ruby's reins and lead her towards the entrance. He couldn't trust himself to continue their conversation. Slash was his boss after all, and there was only so much he could say or do before he was kicked out on his ass. If it were any other job or any other horse, he wouldn't have given a shit. But Ruby needed him now more than ever, and he wasn't going to risk her life for something so stupid.

"Winston!" Slash called after him. "Before you go, I've got news!"

"You can take your news and shove it up your ass." Dallas answered, but he was too far away to be heard. Slash called after him as he lead Ruby back to the stalls.

* * *

At the Dingo, Ellie was bouncing on her heels and bearing a grin so wide it looked as if it might engulf the rest of her cheerful face. She was dressed in a gentle yellow dress with a white apron over top, the standard uniform all of the waitresses wore.

"How do I look?" She asked, gesturing to herself with the notepad she had been given.

Steve's eyebrows were furrowed at her expression. "Like you drank too much coffee."

"I don't know, Steve-O." Two-Bit was concentrated on the flesh the hem of her new outfit exposed. "I think she looks good. Real good."

Soda snorted into his coke. "Don't let Dallas hear you saying that."

Ellie rolled her eyes. Of course she'd get flack over the biggest achievement of her life. Boys ruined everything.

"Don't you have detention today?" She huffed at Two-Bit, tugging the edge of her dress down in vein.

"Nope!" He chirped, "Last one was yesterday."

She paused to count the days in her head. "No... I'm pretty sure your last day is tomorrow."

"...Shit!" Two-Bit was off of his seat and out the door faster than Ellie could have dreamed, nearly barreling into Dallas on his way. Her smile reappeared as she watched her boyfriend treck through the booths towards them.

"What's up with Two-Bit?" He asked, stoically accepting the kiss she planted on his cheek.

"First day on the job and Ellie's already scaring customers away." Steve joked, sharing a devious grin with Soda.

Ellie pointed the tip of her pen at him. "You're next, Bub."

Dallas sat down beside Soda and dug into his jacket for his cigarettes. He came out empty handed. "Fucking hell." He cursed, "Soda, gimme a smoke."

"Where'd your's go?" Steve asked as Soda obliged and passed him one of his own cigarettes.

"I must'a left them at the fuckin' ranch."

"Language, please." She scolded offhandedly, leaning a hip against the side of the seats between one booth and another.

Irritation flashed like lightening in Dally's eyes. "Don't you got tables to wait on or some shit?"

Ellie felt the sting like a strong gust of wind. She watched him run a hand through his flaxen hair, sitting tense and fidgeting in his seat, sucking desperately on his cigarette.

"Yeah." She answered with a sulky pout, ignoring the other boy's troubling looks as she flung herself back into her work. The Dingo was a little more crowded than usual but there was more than enough staff to handle it. Ellie tried to make herself useful anyway, wiping down tables and setting up fresh cutlery after the busboy cleared the dishes. It was her first day and they hadn't trusted her with a section yet. Her main job was to do everything all the other girls were too busy to do. Mostly it involved filling up coffee cups and freshening cokes.

The customers weren't so bad, either. Penny had given her a long warning before she was allowed on the floor of the diner.

"Girls are bad enough, but men are filthy pigs." The Matthews girl had stated bluntly as she helped Ellie tie the apron around her waist. "Greaser men are even worse. But no matter how gross they get, don't yell at them. Frank'll fire you on the spot if he sees you fighting with a customer."

Frank was their malnourished, mustachio-ed manager that was always skulking in the darkest corners of the kitchen.

"What do I do, then?" Ellie had asked.

Penny shrugged. "Just remember to be polite. You'll figure it out after a while."

Ellie hadn't experienced too many jerks yet. One or two boys had said a few lude words to her, but nothing unmanageable. By the time her shift was halfway finished, she was beginning to think Penny was over-reacting- or perhaps she just wasn't pretty enough to be harassed. Then evening rolled in and the younger crowd was slowly replaced by a string of truckers stopping for dinner. Most were family men, proud and loyal to those they had waiting for them at home. They would show Ellie pictures of smiling babies and beautiful wives, always listing the days, weeks, sometimes months of time they were forced to spend away. Her heart went out to them; she hadn't seen her whole family for so long she was beginning to feel as if they were more like long forgotten friends.

Others were more difficult to handle. They hollered at the waitresses from across the diner as if they were dogs being called back to their owners, complained about the state of their food, then often underpaid for their meals as they left. A half-hour in, Ellie stopped searching for tips and found herself relieved when she was ignored.

"When are you off?" Soda asked as the sun began to set in the window beside them. Darry had finished work an hour ago and was now sitting in the booth with the other boys. Where Johnny and Pony had run off to, no one was quite sure.

Ellie placed a cold root beer in front of the oldest boy. "Soon. Another hour, I think."

"Ellie!" Penny hurried over to her, balancing a large tray of food. "Can you get two cokes for that table over there?"

She nudged her chin to a booth by the entrance. Ellie nodded and scampered off to the kitchen. She had to wait for the dishwasher to finish cleaning enough glasses before she could pour ice and coke into them. Then she set the drinks on a tray and carried it carefully across the diner to her customers.

"Two cokes." She announced, placing each one in front of the truckers.

"What's your name, little lady?" Asked a man to her left. He was a burly man with long, salt-and-pepper sideburns and yellow nails. The jean jacket he wore looked as if it was straining over his muscles.

She tried a small smile. "Ellie."

"Ellie." He smiled back at her and she saw a row of crooked teeth. "My name's John. When are you finished here, darlin'?"

"N-not for a while." Ellie said, choking on her lie. She felt her cheeks heat up, knowing from his dubious expression that he hadn't been fooled at all. She didn't understand his interest in her; he had to be pushing fifty and she was just a kid. He could have children her age. Didn't he have any shame at all?

"Now, don't be like that." Without her noticing, John's hand had slipped from the table to grab the back of her thigh, pulling her in until her waist was pressed up against the edge of the table.

Ellie felt both a scream and bile rise in her throat. The tips of his fingers were wiggling their way inbetween her legs.

"P-pl-please-" She squealed, clutching the tray to her chest in a weak attempt to protect herself from him. "Let g-go!"

John didn't seem to be listening. "You like dogs? I bring a dog along in my truck to keep me company. Gets awfully lonely on the road, darlin'. You 'ought to come by my room to see him. He's _real friendly_."

"N-no thank you!" Ellie tried to move away but she was too scared to move her legs and allow him more access to what was in between. "I'm allergic!"

She glanced hopefully at the man on the opposite side of the booth, begging silently for help. But he seemed to be more interested in his dinner than the events happening in front of him.

"Don't be rude now, darlin'-"

A blur of leather and platinum streaked across the corner of her eye and suddenly she was on the floor, tray clattering at her feet.

"Winston!" Penny shouted from somewhere behind.

Soda was by Ellie's side in the next moment, concern written across his face as he asked if she was alright. All she could do was nod, disorientated from the sudden fall. There was shouting and the sound of glass breaking, but she couldn't see anything past Soda's face.

"What happened?" Ellie asked as he grabbed her forearm and pulled her up. A dull pain shot through her ankle and she would have collapsed again if he hadn't adjusted his grip to her waist at the last moment. He swore loudly in her ear.

The contents of the table had been tossed to the floor as well. Coke had splashed across her leg and now sat at the bottom of her shoe, squishy and cold. A meter away, Steve was holding Dally's arms behind his back, fighting to keep him restrained as Dally cursed and shouted, his whole body seizing viciously in attempt to get at the man. His right eye was swelling, but he had done some damage to the trucker as well. John's nose was grotesquely mangled and his arm hung awkwardly at his side. Despite his injuries he didn't look as angry as Dallas, though he did seem to be interested in continuing the fight. Darry wouldn't allow it. He stood in between them like a wall, his hands out to keep John at a distance.

"That's enough." Darry repeated over and over until the man seemed to register his words. Despite being thirty years his junior, Darry was taller and just as muscled. It would take more than a busted up trucker to take him down.

"Get out!" Penny hissed,cutting through the tension. She was clutching her tray as if she was ready to wack them over the head with it.

John pulled a few dollars from his jacket and placed it on the table beside a spilt salt shaker. He flashed Ellie a pleasant smile as he stalked towards the door with his friend in tow. "I'm sorry for the trouble, darlin'. I hope my tip'll make up for it."

She glanced back at the table. His coke had been twenty five cents, but there was at least two dollars laid out on the salt-covered surface.

Penny jabbed her finger at Dallas. "You too, asshole."

"Shut up, Matthews." Dallas snapped as Steve released him. He shrugged his jacket back into place over his shoulders and combed his hair back with his fingers.

"I mean it, Winston." Penny insisted. "You're banned, you understand? I'm sick of you coming in here and causing scenes! I so much as see that ugly mug of yours in the parking lot, I'll show you what a real fight looks like." She turned to Ellie. "Clean this crap up."

Ellie nodded rapidly.

"Your ankle..." Soda started as she pulled away.

She must have twisted it on her way down, but it wasn't sprained. A few more minutes and the ache would subside. She smiled reassuringly at him, then crouched down to start picking up larger shards of glass from the floor.

"El-"

"Just go, please." Ellie interrupted Dallas without looking up from her task. It took effort to keep the frustration from her voice. "You linger around any longer and I'll get fired, if I haven't been already."

There was a silence above her. She could see the tips of their chucks at the edges of her vision, scuffed and dirty and surrounded by spilled coke and glass.

"Come on." Darry grumbled, and they slid out of her view. A few moments later the bell over the door rang out and the low chatter of the diner began to filter in again.

Ellie fell back against her heels and sighed. Everything had happened so fast, she wasn't even sure how she felt about it. Violated, of course, and disgusted and angry and... hurt. She let out another sigh and glanced up through the big windows lining the wall, watching the boys wander down the block until they disappeared.

Today, for the first time in a long time, Ellie had felt optimistic. Like the hurricane of her life had finally died down. There was wreckage, sure, but at least now she could gather what she had left and make something out of it. For once it truly, honestly felt like she'd find happiness in Tulsa.

Now she wasn't sure if happiness was meant for her anymore. Maybe she had used it all up in Chicago, in her carefree childhood, and now she had to learn about... unhappiness.

Ellie sighed again, rolled her eyes, and began to pick up the glass pieces again.

This was all Dallas' fault... probably.

* * *

He was waiting for her on the porch, scowling. There were a dozen cigarette butts scattered along the steps and a crumpled packet on the walkway where he had tossed it.

"How long have you been out here?" Ellie asked, staring unhappily at the mess. There was something wrong with him today, and she knew it wasn't just about the trucker at the Dingo. He was sour and explosive- more so than usual.

"Two fuckin' hours." He finished off his last cigarette and flicked it away. It laid smoking at her feet. "Waiting for you. Why the hell is the door locked?"

"No one's inside." Ellie dug around her purse for her keys. Unlocking the door, she stepped inside and kicked off her shoes into the corner of the hall. "I thought I told you to go home."

Dallas followed her in, shedding his leather jacket to toss carelessly into the closet by the front door. "What the fuck are you mad at me for?"

Ellie pulled off her own coat and hung it up neatly above Dally's. Then she hooked her purse on the closet handle and grabbed his jacket to hang it up beside her's.

"Hey," Dallas grabbed her wrist and forced her to look at him. "What was I supposed to do, huh?"

"You could have just let me deal with it!" She huffed, unable to control her annoyance any longer. "I've lived my whole life without you around to keep men's hands away, Dallas. Did you ever stop to think I might be able to take care of myself?"

He scoffed, dry and sarcastic.

"Right, of course I can't! I'm just naive, innocent Ellie Carter. I can't do anything but cry and beg my big, strong boyfriend to save me from all those evil people in the world, right?" Ellie wrenched her wrist away and walked purposely towards the living room. The dogs were lounging by the back door leading to the yard, and she stepped over them to open it. They raced each other past her legs, eager to be let out after being stuck in the house all day.

"So you were just going to let him have a turn with you, then?" Growled Dallas, never far behind as he followed her from the room back into the hall. "That your version of dealing with things?"

"If you think I was actually going to go back to that guy's dingy motel room, then you don't me one bit, Dallas." Ellie hurried up the stairs, working to untie the bow holding the apron over her dress. She was exhausted and the bottom of her feet ached more than she had ever felt before. All she wanted was to shower and go to bed- and for Dallas to just _go home_.

"Maybe I fucking don't!"

She turned around to retort, yelping in surprise to find Dallas only a step behind her. Anger swelled in his eyes like waves crashing against a cliff during a storm, his teeth bared and his hands clenched into fists so tight the skin over his knuckles were transparent. Ellie felt her words catch in her throat.

Dallas brought up his fists up to her face and she flinched back against the wall, waiting for the feel of hard, rough knuckles against her cheek. Instead he grabbed the base of her ponytail, wrenching her head back to expose her neck. The sheer strength of him kept her in place.

"Dallas-!" She warned, her heart skipping in fright.

A gasp tumbled from her lips as he placed a series of raucous kisses along her collarbone, biting at her hickeys were the skin was most sensitive. His other hand went to her breast, squeezing and kneading her hard enough to hurt. Gone were his gentle caresses, and despite herself Ellie found a heat pooling in her belly, stronger and hungrier than she had ever felt before. She gripped the leather encasing his arms, tugging him closer. She wanted him. She was angry and blindingly scared but she _wanted_ him so badly she felt tears sting at her eyes.

"You're mine." Dallas growled against her neck. He snapped his hips and she felt him- a part of him- pressing against her. A shudder ran down her spine.

Ellie nodded urgently, crying out as his hand left her breast and wrenched the skirt of her dress up, the fabric bunching between them. He didn't wait for her permission, slipping his fingers under the hem of her lingerie to press against her most intimate parts.

Dallas stilled for a moment, lifting his head to see Ellie's face. Her eyes were screwed shut, her lips parted. Every breath she took was shallow and gasping. He wanted to keep the memory of this moment- her expression, her willingness, the warmth of her against his hand- he wanted to keep it in his mind forever.

Ellie could do little but moan his name. It was as if he had taken control of her body. What were morals to her now? What was a reputation? They were nothing but words compared to the delirium she was consumed by. Wave upon wave of ecstasy shot up her spine, building up into something far greater than she could bare to stand.

Dallas stopped suddenly, crouching on his knees in front of her. He took one of her hands and brought it to the hem of her skirt, silently commanding her to hold it up. Ellie whimpered as he tugged one of her legs up over his shoulder, feeling as if all her nerves had been set ablaze.

"What-" She started, only to be quieted again as he peppered her inner thighs with slow, lingering kisses directly where that trucker's fingers had grabbed her. His mouth and fingers journeyed higher, pushing aside the thin fabric that protected her chastity, and suddenly the waves were back again, richer than before. Ellie fell back against the wall, gripping Dally's hair to keep from collapsing. His name fell from her lips, over and over again, begging him for something- for relief from the energy building up inside her. And then, just when she thought the molecules of her body might explode into a trillion specks of star-dust, her breath caught and- and-!

Her legs gave way but Dallas managed to pin her before she fell down completely. He eased her onto the floor, shifting so that they sat side by side against the wall. They said nothing for a moment, their heavy breaths coming out in sync.

"I..." Ellie stared down the length of the staircase only a metre away from her. "I shouldn't have let you do that."

"But you did." Dallas opened a fresh cigarette packet from his back pocket and lit up a smoke. She couldn't bare to look at him, let alone tell him to stop. While her body felt as if it had been electrocuted, her mind felt numb. No fear, no anxiety- not even guilt. She always thought she'd end up feeling dirty and wrong after...

She crawled under Dally's arm and burrowed into his side to seek some comfort in his warmth. He was calmer now and so was she, but tension was still lingering in the air above them.

"Don't think about it too much." He told her, a puff of smoke swirling in front of the two as he sighed. "You're just going to freak yourself out."

Ellie sniffed. "I'm not-"

"Yeah you are."

"For someone who doesn't know me, you sure make a lot of assumptions." She still hadn't gathered the courage to look at him, but she knew he was glowering.

"Dallas," She began again, pressing her cheek against his chest. "I know you were just trying to help, but you can't be so reckless all the time. Fighting people doesn't solve problems, it just makes things worse."

"You sound like my probation officer."

"I could have been fired."

"But you weren't."

A sense of hopelessness came over her. It seemed as if there would never be enough words that could make Dallas see the world in the way she did. Yet every day it seemed as if she was forced into disillusionment.

"You're possessive." She told him in a soft, sulky voice.

"I'm a lot worse than that." Dallas sat up straighter. His hand went from her shoulder, skimming her forearm, and stopped at her waist. "You weren't complaining when those kids at the drive-in took pictures of you. And beating them up solved that problem pretty well, too."

"That's different." She insisted.

Dallas shook his head. "No it ain't. You just want to pretend it is 'cause that would make you right. You want to pretend you don't like it when I fight- that I'm the devil and you're the angel."

The front door opened and shut below them.

"Els!" It was Johnny coming home from whatever adventure he had gotten into with Pony. "You home?"

Panic overcame Ellie; she'd rather die than have Johnny stumble upon her looking like this. She felt messy and mixed up and horrifically blissful, all at the same time. She couldn't imagine how that would translate on her expression. Ellie tried to stand up, but Dallas was holding her in place again.

"Things aren't so black and white, Princess." He whispered in her ear. "There isn't any difference between that fight or this fight. And there isn't any difference between what you feel and how I just made you feel."

He gave her side a squeeze and stood to make his way downstairs to greet his friend. At least his mood had improved.

"This isn't happening again!" Ellie whisper-shouted at his retreating back, feeling lighter than she had a moment ago. "And if you keep sprouting this kind of philosophical stuff, I'm going to force you to go back to school, smarty-pants!"

Dallas flashed her the bird as he jumped down the steps two at a time.

Ellie smiled. What he said was nonsense, but only because she refused to acknowledge the truth in it. Still, it made her feel better. Like maybe she was wrong about all her happiness being used up. Maybe it didn't matter as much as pure contentment did. Maybe that's what she had to search for instead. That seemed to be an easier goal. She felt content when Dallas was near her, or when she made breakfast for Johnny, or when she was being teased by one of the boys. She was content in Tulsa, even if she was still waiting out the storm.

Ellie waited until he was down the stairs before she got up and headed to the bathroom for a much needed shower.

* * *

**Haha sex.**

**That was uncomfortable to write and probably uncomfortable to read. Everything's uncomfortable. Oh God. I'm so uncomfortable.**

**Sorry for the short chapter. Next one will be way bigger.**

**Let me know how you feel about Ellie and Dally's 'progression'. What do you think needs to happen next? Love you guys!**


	32. Charmer

32.

Ellie blinked up at the roof of Buck's thunderbird, barely registering the pitter-patter of rain as it hit their little enclosure. It was just her luck to be trapped in a car, over a dozen meters away from the school doors just as a fall storm hit. Yet, there was no where else she would rather be than trapped under Dally's frame, feather-light and over-sensitive.

"I thought you said that wasn't happening again." He chuckled against her neck, smirking that infuriating grin that only made her want to start all over again.

Her hands were wound under his arms and splayed across his back. She gave him a light slap. "Shut up. You started this."

It only served fueled Dally's mirth. He peppered a playfully biting kiss on her jaw and slipped his hand out from under her panties. She was suddenly glad the weather had turned or else the parking lot would have been full of students. Not to mention their curious friends.

"_This isn't happening again, Dallas_!" He mocked in a poor attempt at her voice, "_This is the last time, Dallas! You started this Dallas!_"

Ellie huffed. "I'm-"

"_I'm being serious this time, Dallas!"_

"I don't sound like that. " She pinched his side. "And get off, I'm starting to loose the feeling in my legs."

Dallas crawled away onto his own seat and dug around his jacket for a comb to fix his hair. Spotting it by her feet, Ellie plucked it from the floor. Pushing his hands away, she got up on her knees- having to curve her neck to avoid hitting the roof- and began raking his greased, blonde hair back into it's original state.

"You know..." Dally found a way to occupy himself by playing with the hem of her blouse and brushing against the skin by her navel. "One day I'm goin' to want something in return for this."

Ellie's eyebrows furrowed as she caught his gaze. "What? Like... money?"

He reached up and flicked her nose. "No, you idiot. I'm not a prostitute."

"Well, if you want something in return, then maybe you should second guess that statement." She rubbed her sore nose. "What the heck are you talking about then?"

His hands stilled and a frustrated scowl tugged at his lips. Ellie abandoned his hair to fall on her haunches, titling her head at him. She was confused. What else did people give in return for... their _attention_ besides money?

"Are you kidding?" He asked.

She tried to think a little harder. "Uhm... I don't... get it...? Oh!" She narrowed her eyes at him. "Do you mean you want to like... _you know_... to do it? 'Cause I don't think _this_ equals my virginity, Dallas. I mean, it's nice... "A blush tinted her cheeks and ears. "Really, really nice, but... it's not as big of a deal as... as... I just mean, I figure God and my husband will be able to forgive me for fooling around with you but I once I loose it, I loose it. I can't take it back. It's a big deal! And-"

"Jesus, shut the hell up." Dallas groaned, as his hand snake up to cover her mouth. "How did I end up with the dumbest, most annoying girl in Tulsa?"

Ellie's response was muffled, but her scrunched nose said enough to get the point across.

She pulled his hand away. "You're dumber and more annoying than I'd ever be!"

"And how come you're always thinking of some husband, huh?" He grumbled, ignoring her insult. "This guy doesn't even exist! Hell, he probably won't ever exist! For all you know, you're gonna die alone with fifty cats!"

"That's not true." Ellie inched back until her back pressed against the car door, wanting to place as much space between them without having to go out in the rain. She stuck her nose in the air. "I'll have Johnnycake."

Dallas grabbed his cigarette packet from between the two front seats and slumped in his seat. "You're fucking nuts, Ellie."

She watched him light a smoke, gnawing on her bottom lip. It was hazy to her whether he was really angry or just fighting with her for the hell of it. They often argued, but it was never anything serious or unfixable. What needed to be fixed in this particular moment, she didn't know. Was he waiting for something in return? Ellie realized what he had _truly_ meant somewhere in between her speech about her virginity and the fifty cats. But getting anywhere near... that area of him sounded even more frightening than the whole thing all together! How the heck was she supposed to know what to do with it?

Or maybe he was mad about the comment she had made about her future husband? That would be the easier answer.

Ellie inched a little closer, trying to catch his attention again. Half-occupied with the smoke, he glanced at her sideways.

"What?"

She pressed her shoulder against his arm and batted her eyelashes up at him innocently. "Oh, Dally... you don't have to be jealous over a man that isn't even in my life yet. It won't even happen until _years_-"

"Why the hell am I not your husband?" Dallas interrupted suddenly. Then he grit his teeth and turned to glare at the head rest in front of him. "Not that I wanna be, but don't girls like... always think about this shit when they date someone? Don't they write their name with their crush's last name in their diaries or whatever? Why the hell don't I get that? Why the hell don't you picture our wedding or whether or not I give a shit if you're a virgin or not?"

Ellie couldn't hold back a smile. "See? You _are _stupider than me."

"I've never wanted to punch a girl before now." Dallas retorted.

"Do you really think I haven't thought about being your wife?" She crawled into his lap -careful to avoid the cigarette- and began to comb his hair again. "Do you think I haven't thought about walking down the isle for you, or being named Elizabeth Winston, or how annoying but cute our children would be? I think about it every night, you giant dummy. But dreams and fantasies aren't the same as reality, Dallas. I promised myself to wait until marriage and I intend to keep that promise whether it be you or another man. So I think the question you really need to be asking is whether you would even want to marry me... seeing as I'm the most annoying, stupid girl in the world."

Dallas made a face. "No way. I can't support your spoiled ass."

Ellie supposed his words would have stung if she hadn't already known the answer.

"Exactly." She combed back the last of his stray silvery strands and leaned back to inspect her work. "That's why you're going to be the pool boy I have illicit affairs with behind my rich husband's back. That way we get the best of both worlds."

"...I'm starting to like that idea."

She could feel his fingers crawling up her thigh and underneath her skirt.

"No, Dallas! I have class in five minutes- and I said this isn't happening again!"

* * *

Johnny was picking dog hair out of his jeans, sitting on the kitchen counter as Ellie poured 7-Up into the punch mixture she was making in a large crystal bowl they had found stashed in the very back of the cupboard above the fridge.

"I'm telling you," He yawned, "That's gonna' be broken or stolen by tomorrow."

"Who steals a bowl?" Ellie questioned, drying off her hands on the skirt of her orange dress. It had taken him all week to convince her that none of the other teenagers would be wearing costumes to a Halloween party. Her heart had been set on an _I Dream of Jeannie _get-up, though he wasn't sure if she would have actually worn it- the stomach being exposed and all.

Johnny leaned over to try and open the fridge without having to move from his spot. "I'd steal a bowl if it was as fancy as your's. What's that thing they call it? Chrystal?"

She stirred the mixture absent-mindedly and watched him struggle for a few moments."How much do you think we'd get from the pawn shop?"

He gave her a look. Ellie wasn't getting paid her first paycheck until the end of the month, so the only way to keep floating until then was to sell some of the furniture they didn't need. It wasn't so bad; Johnny's old bedroom had consisted of a mattress and a broken dresser, so naturally Ellie's house was a leap in a better, more furnished direction. But after the dining room table went, and the old chairs in the area behind the couch no one really sat in, the junk sitting in the attic, and the bedroom set from the room he supposed must have been her father's, it was starting to look pretty bare and depressing around the house. He even put up a fight when she started on the few paintings they had on the walls- especially the one of _The Last Supper _that hung in the dining room. He wasn't going to hell for pocket cash.

"You gotta stop selling everything, Els." Stretching himself further for the fridge handle. His elbow slipped and rammed into the dish rack. It gave a rattle of plates clacking against plates and then a cup smacked against his wrist and tumbled off the counter. A moment later there was a crash.

"Smooth." She laughed, padding over to inspect the shards of glass. Johnny slid off the counter and gave her a nudge to get out of the way. He picked up the larger bits and dropped them in the trash while she popped open the fridge and brought out bread, bologna, and mustard. "You sure I shouldn't make dinner or anything? People are gonna get hungry."

"Relax, Els." Johnny got out the dustpan from under the sink and started sweeping up the smaller bits. "All you gotta do is answer the door and play music."

He threw out the glass and tossed the dustpan back in the cupboard so haphazardly that it smacked against the back wall. Ellie squirted a hearty drizzle of mustard into the bologna and flopped the top piece of bread over before cutting it diagonally, just the way he liked it.

"Everyone's coming to get drunk, not have a sit-down dinner with... napkins and stuff." Johnny went on, making to grab the snack.

Ellie scooped the sandwich halves out of his reach. "Oh, did you want one too?" Ellie asked, staring faux innocently at him as she took a small bite.

"You don't even like bologna!" Johnny snatched the other half and scarfed it down. She stuck out her tongue.

Lady let out a single yowling bark from the porch. Ellie reminded herself to lock the dogs upstairs when people started showing up. The last thing they needed was Lord taking a bite out of someone.

"Dallas?" She guessed out loud.

"Pony." Johnny thought outloud instead. Lady wouldn't have bat an eyelash at Dallas.

But it was neither of them. A moment later the front door creaked open and Soda strolled inside, Lady at his heels and Sandy behind them.

"Listen," Soda grabbed Johnny by the shoulders. "You can't tell Darry how many kids are coming tonight."

"Why not?" Ellie asked, narrowing her eyes at the two of them. "Johnny, you said there's only going to be a few people-"

"There will be!" Her roommate didn't sound entirely convincing. "Just the guys... and the girls..."

He nudged Soda in the ribs.

"R-right!" The Curtis boy nodded furiously, "Very small group! You won't even notice we're here! But, uh, you know how Darry can get. He's already trying to convince Pony to stay home."

Standing beside him, Sandy let out a giggle and said to Ellie, "You'd think he'd be better at lying."

Ellie felt her stomach turn. A meek smile fluttered uncertainly along her lips as she acknowledged the girl before her. "Though, it wouldn't be much better of a quality if he was a _good _liar- or a liar at all."

It wasn't the first time she had seen Sandy since that party where they watched her walk up the stairs with another boy, and it certainly wasn't the first time Ellie had felt the crushing weight of that secret. They shared the same friends, and while she hadn't been too present in the girl's group after Sylvia left, Ellie and Sandy still saw each other frequently enough in school. It was hard to keep out of it, but after a while it became less and less so. After a while the secret just became an inconvenient fact they all had to stumble around.

"_Everyone_ lies." Johnny scoffed, "You lied to me yesterday about leaving your bra on the couch-"

Ellie's mouth fell open in outrage. "Like you lied about the crusty socks-"

"Okay, okay!" Soda slung an arm around Johnny's shoulder and gave him a little shake. "We're all filthy goddamn liars and you really need to start doing your own laundry, Johnnycake. Now, come help me grab the keg, won't you?"

Ellie dodge a punch to the arm as Johnny passed her, following Soda back outside.

"You know everyone's going to be here, right?" Sandy placed her purse on the kitchen table beside the punch. She grabbed the spoon and started to stir.

Ellie turned back to the counter and started opening up the cupboards, looking for a less expensive bowl. "I don't know about that. I mean, it's not like that many people even know my name."

"Sure they do!" Sandy exclaimed, "You're dating Dallas Winston, and everyone knows Dallas Winston. Anyway, Buck is out of town on business so it's not like there's any other place to go."

Ellie thought of Buck's on a saturday; boiling and sweaty and suffocating in cigarette and pot smoke. She worried her lip. "I better lock all the doors upstairs."

"Heck, you better just lock up the whole house and never let them inside in the first place."

* * *

Dallas loved the ranch, he really did. The only time he felt like the world wasn't spinning madly around him was when he was working with Ruby- or any horse for that matter. Even the tedious tasks held more meaning than all the bullshit he did outside. In the Ranch everything had a system; there wasn't any big decisions or inner-conflicts. He came in, was given a list of tasks, and then the rest of the time he could do as he liked. Dallas could be knee deep in shit, cleaning out the stalls and he'd still be having the time of his life.

Ruby had already started to eat by the time Dally got back to the stall. She was always hungry these days. He'd started to get worried she was consuming more than she could burn off and now he was spending nearly every morning giving her an extra run to keep her trim. Fat race horses didn't make for good race horses, and if she couldn't race then Dally wasn't sure what they would do with her. Slash didn't like anyone or anything that didn't put money in his pocket.

"Easy, girl." Dallas hummed as she turned her head at him. She had fidgety and anxious all day; he had a hard time keeping her still enough to mount. Knowing he wouldn't get a proper run out of her, he kept their pace slow and easy, walking her down a trail by the fields by the ranch instead of on the training field. Even then, she hadn't been too keen on being ridden.

"You still ain't feelin' hot, Ruby?" He asked, stroking her withers as she pressed her nose to his shoulder in greeting. A toothy smile graced his face. "Listen, if you be good for your grooming, I'll go find you an apple to much on. Got it?"

She must have because she didn't give him grief when he tied the lead rope to the post and started cleaning her hooves. He was extra careful to keep an eye out for lameness. But there was nothing there. Her hooves were healthy and as clean as a whistle by the time he was finished.

"What's gotten into you, then?" He asked, tossing the pick onto the ledge and grabbing the curry comb. He started on her left, brushing vigorously over the muscle above her front leg to loosen the dirt caught in her dark chocolate coat. "You got colic? Navicular? Worms?"

Ruby shifted anxiously. Dallas stopped his brushing to run a hand down her neck. He understood how she felt; he was starting to get really worried as well. Something had to be causing this sudden change in mood and stamina, and he had better figure it out before it got worse. There'd be no expensive medications or change in lifestyle for her. Ruby was fast and she won her fair share of races, but she wasn't be best Slash had ever owned. If she was sick, really sick, then the best Dallas could hope for was to get her sold to the highest bidder. If not, then she'd be put down.

Dallas swallowed hard and took a deep, steadying breath before he started brushing again. "We need to get you a vet, Ruby."

He gave her a good, thorough grooming. She always loved getting groomed and despite some apprehensive fidgeting, she kept relatively steady the whole way through. She even let him comb out her main.

"Still working for Slash, then?"

Dallas froze. His back was turned to the stable gate, but even after three years that voice was too familiar.

"Jesus, you gonna piss yourself?"

"No." Dally growled, staring hard at Ruby's shining coat. He felt that queasy, frightened feeling he got when his heart was pounding, but for the life of him he couldn't hear it. The walls of the stable were starting to closing in on him."I thought you were down south."

"I was." There was a click of the latch opening. "Look at me when I'm speaking, son."

* * *

Sandy was right. By the time night fell, Ellie's house was bursting to the rafters with leather jackets and cigarette smoke. Most of them were kids that the boys had invited, including their girlfriends. Then those kids invited _their_ friends and _their_ girlfriends, and before anyone knew it there were gangs coming all the way from Broken Arrow. The Sheperds and Brumly Boys gave them a bit of a hard time in the beginning, but after a few of Two-Bit's best jokes and a couple of drinks the tension smoothed over. Now Ellie just had to worry about anyone trying to sneak upstairs.

"We're running low on booze." Soda told Ellie as he collapsed into the couch beside her. There was a line of sweat forming by his hairline from dancing with Sandy.

Ellie handed him her glass of juice and watched as he drained it all down. "Dallas is supposed to bring more." She said, loud enough to be heard over the pounding rock music. "But he wasn't showed up yet."

Soda glanced down at his watch. It wasn't unusual for Dallas to be late, but ten thirty was pushing it.

"He'll be here soon!" Soda promised, glancing around the crowd. "Darry isn't around here, is he?"

Ellie raised an eyebrow at him. "You can't avoid him for forever. Even if he doesn't catch you tonight, he'll still be here tomorrow morning."

But Soda didn't look too worried. He seldom ever did. "We'll see. Darry doesn't let us go to Buck's and I can respect that, but that doesn't mean I don't remember when he was in highschool."

"Are you telling me Darry was a party animal?" Ellie asked, amused at the very thought. She hadn't been around long enough to have seen what Darry was like as a sixteen year old boy, though she would have never imagined him to be anything different than what he was now.

Soda flashed her his mega-watt smile, tinted with mischief. "Believe it or not, Darry is an excellent dancer when he gets drunk enough."

"You're lying!" Ellie accused.

"No, really!" He slung an arm around her shoulder and pulled her in so they could speak in secret. Ellie wondered if he was drunk, but she hadn't seen him take one sip of liquor all night. "You put some hard liquor in him and he was a regular Fred Astaire. Girls _loved_ it."

"You mean-"

"Oh yeah. Darry almost never came home alone. Mom used to ride him about it all the time, saying he was going to get a girl pregnant if he wasn't careful. Then in senior year, he nearly did."

Ellie shook her head at him. "You have got to be kidding me, Soda. There is no way I'm believing that Darryl Curtis ever woo-ed a girl, let alone got one pregnant."

"I said nearly did'!" Soda insisted, "And you can go ask him yourself! Her name was Lana Emmerson- She almost got Darry hitched and everything. You ever want to see him quake in his boots, you just mention her name. He was terrified of bein' a father."

She thought that was quite ironic, considering the role he was playing for his brothers only a few years later. "I bet he never looked at a girl ever again after that."

"Oh, he did." Soda shrugged, "It's human nature. But he sure as hell didn't bring any of them to bed. Mom got a lot more pleasant after that."

"Serves him right." Ellie stated, though she didn't really mean it. Boys- and girls, for that matter- liked to sow oats. Who was she to judge? She had just spent all lunch period in a car with Dally.

Two-Bit's copper head stood out in the crowd as he approached them. He was surprisingly sober for someone who had just shot-gunned three beers. Kathy wasn't at his hip that night, but Ellie had seen her by the stairs with Angel a little while ago. Rumor had it they were broken up again.

"Soda." Two-Bit gestured for him to stand.

The Curtis boy gave Ellie's hair a muss and stood up. Two-Bit cast her a worried glance, then grabbed Soda's arm and mumbled something in his ear.

"What?" Ellie asked, straightening in her seat. "Did someone break something?"

The red-head shrugged, already tugging Soda into the crowd behind them. "Don't sweat it, Els!"

"Wait!" Ellie called to their retreating backs, but they were gone by the time she was on her feet. She wanted to strangle them sometimes, honestly. She got that she was a girl and could never truly be apart of their close-knit group, but hadn't they been through enough together? Didn't she deserve to know about all the stupid exploits? They knew everything _she_ ever did! Sometimes she just felt like their baby sister, adored and protected but swept aside when they wanted to go off and do _boy_ things.

_Well I'll show them! _Ellie declared to herself, though she wasn't quite sure how. She grabbed her glass and heading to the kitchen to refill it. Someone had -predictably- spiked the punch, and now it was so boozy it was barely drinkable. She grabbed a glass anyway. Sipping on it, she set off to find the girls.

* * *

Johnny was drunk. So, so, so drunk. It was Two-Bit's fault, or really, Johnny's fault for thinking he could keep up. He did pretty well for a while playing 'Bullshit' with Matthews, Tim, and four very pretty girls. Two-Bit was crap at cards, but he was especially crap at it when it involved drinking every time he lost. Tim however, could cheat a polygraph without batting an eye. Johnny and the girls were somewhere in the middle. They managed to get through the whole deck of cards before the room started spinning, and then the game changed to strip poker and well, there was no way in hell Johnny was going to leave _that_. He tried to slow down his drinking now that the game didn't require it, but five minutes later his head was in a bush and his stomach was crawling up his throat.

"It smells so bad." Pony said from somewhere above him.

"Why aren't you inside?" Johnny asked in a gravelly voice. The only thing he could really sense was the squishiness of the grass and dirt under his hands and knees. The rest of the world was pitch black and booming with rock music.

"It's too hot in there." Pony explained, hooking his hand under Johnny's armpit and pulling him up. "God, you look like crap, you know?"

The smell of liquor hit Johnny's nose. His stomach flipped again. "You drinkin', Ponyboy?"

The younger boy shrugged and held up a small bottle of vodka. "It's Curly's. We've been sharing it."

The second boy was leaning up against the fence. His leather jacket and dark jeans nearly sucked him into the shadows. If it weren't for the dot of fire at the tip of his cigarette, Johnny wouldn't have seen him at all.

"Don't let your brothers see you."

"Soda won't mind." Pony insisted casually, though Johnny knew him well enough to know he was at least a little worried.

"I'd ask you if you wanted a sip but it looks like you've already had your fill." Curly joked, flicking his ashes into the grass.

Johnny didn't really like Curly Shepard. None of the gang really did except Pony. He was too much like his older brother, but without the smarts or respect. Tim was good at knowing when to bury hatchets, or when to play nice with other's and leave things alone. He knew what going too far meant and he understood how far his men were willing to go. He knew the score. He was a good gang leader. Curly didn't have those kinds of instincts. To him, gangs were for rumbles and causing mayhem. He wanted to be like his brother, but in title only.

But Pony liked him, and any friend of Pony's was a sort-of friend of Johnny's.

"I'll have a cigarette," Johnny followed Pony back to the fence. "If you can spare one."

Curly gave him one without argument. Johnny lit it up, praying it would chase away the nausea. He sucked in deep and then curled over the fence to wretch the rest of his dinner out into the neighbor's yard. The boys began to laugh.

* * *

It was eleven thirty and Ellie was sick and tired of the party. She wanted everyone out. She wanted to crawl up into her bed and sleep for a million years. Most of all she wanted her stupid boyfriend to show up.

"Maybe he got arrested." Angel supplied.

Kathy glared at her. "He's not arrested. He probably fell asleep or something."

"Well, he was at the ranch all day..." Ellie thought out loud. "He's always kind of tired after work."

"Or he's already at the party and he's running around looking for you?" Evie suggested, shifting from one foot to another to the beat of the music, dancing without really dancing. They had crammed themselves in the corner of the room, passing around cheap wine.

Ellie winced as she took a gulp, wondering how unlady-like she must look drinking straight from the bottle. If only her mother could see her now.

"Or he's with-" Angel caught herself mid-sentence and a rare guilty expression swept across her face for the briefest of moments.

Ellie's eyebrows furrowed. "What? With who?"

"_No one_." Kathy stressed, though she seemed to be talking more to the group than to Ellie.

She stared at them, catching each of the girl's impenetrable gazes, and couldn't come up with anything.

"What the heck is going on?" Ellie hissed, shoving off the wall so that she was standing straighter. "First Two-Bit and Soda and now this? What is everyone hiding? Who is Dallas with?"

Evie stopped dancing and put a hand on her arm. "Ellie, we don't know who Dallas is with, really. Hell, he could be with nobody at all. Maybe he really is just at home asleep."

It sounded sincere, but Ellie couldn't bring herself to believe her. She brought the bottle of wine to her lips and let the liquid slide down her throat, sharp with bitterness. Handing it back to Kathy, she turned from the girls and pushed through the crowd to get into the hallway. There were too many people; everyone was shuffling and bumping each other's shoulders. Ellie was tossed and shoved back and forth until she reached the hall, and even there it was still too stuffy.

"Ellie!" Angel shouted from the crowd. She must have been trying to follow her, but Ellie wasn't interested in her company. She wasn't interested in anyone's company anymore. She felt buzzed and confused and in desperate need for a moment of silence.

The bedrooms were locked, but it didn't seem to deter the kids from hooking up. They lined the hall, body pressed to body, mouth against mouth, too drunk or high to care who saw. Ellie stared down at the floor as she raced past, face burning red. She was going to give the whole house a good scrubbing tomorrow.

Ellie pulled open the bathroom door, the only room upstairs that wasn't locked. Someone was already making good use of the fact- or rather, two people. Ellie's face screwed up in both shock and disgust at the two figures grinding against the sink counter. The girl's skirt was pulled up to her waist and her shirt tucked behind her neck with her bra-clad breasts brushing against the man's shirt. All Ellie could see of the male was his bare ass as it plunged back and forth erratically.

"God!" Ellie squealed, ready to slam the door when she caught the girl's wide-eyed gaze. "Sandy?"

Sandy slapped the man's shoulder frantically, trying to shove him away. "Get off, get off! Ellie, wait, this isn't-"

"You're the worst!" Ellie shouted back, the best she could think of in the heat of the moment.

"Who's the worst?" Someone asked from the hall. Panic seized her and she slammed the door in Sandy's ghost-white face. She kept a hand on the handle and her back pressed against the door as she turned around to face Soda.

"S-Sodapop?" Everything was written across her face, clear as the night sky above their heads. She watched as his trademark smile- a smile that could bring light to the saddest of days- fall from his face like an avalanche. Her heart broke. "Soda..."

He grabbed her arm and pushed her aside. Ellie didn't fight him. She didn't stay to watch the scene unfold, either. By the time Soda had the door open again, Ellie was racing back down the stairs. Fighting through the crowd back to the girls, it was a relief to see Steve with his arm around Evie. They were swaying lazily to the music, too absorbed with each other to realize they were off the beat.

"Soda!" Ellie shouted, grabbing the back of his shirt to get his attention.

Steve turned around and laughed. "I'm Steve! You drunk?"

She pointed up. "No, _Soda_!"

He squinted at her, then to Evie. "Shit!" Grabbing Ellie's forearm, he forced her to lead him back up onto the second storey. He didn't need any more direction after that. Soda and some Shepard-patched kid were throwing each other against the hall while the other kids jumped out of the way. They had each other by the collar of their shirts, tousling more than fighting.

Kids were rushing past Steve and Ellie, trying to get out of the way. A minute later the only ones left were fellow Shepards. They hung back, watching and waiting like hungry wolves. Steve stepped further into the hall, catching some of their gazes.

"Why are you pissed off at me?" The kid let out a coughing laugh as Soda slammed him against the wall. "Half the goddamn town is stickin' it in your girl!"

"Shut the fuck up!" Soda reared his fist back and hit the Shepard boy hard along his jaw. They stumbled for a moment before the kid managed to grab Soda by the shoulder and ram him against Johnny's bedroom door, breaking the lock. Both of them fell through the frame and into the room and the rest of the boys crowded in to get a better look.

There was a sharp, high bark.

Ellie paled. "My dogs!"

Someone was screaming as Steve tried to push the Shepards out of the way. Taking it as a threat, one of the boys grabbed a hold of Steve's collar and punched him in the gut. It was then that Ellie spotted Darry and Two-Bit coming up from behind.

She glanced back at the room. Some of the boys were scattering to take on the newcomers, but there was still a thick enough crowd around the door. Ellie darted to the left until she was pressed against the wall before she started to elbow her way in. She had better luck than Steve; no one seemed to notice her sliding through.

When she got inside, Lord was crouched in front of Soda with his hackles raised. The kid Soda was fighting was a few steps away. He was curled over, screaming and cursing and clutching his hands to his chest. To the left, a Greaser had his blade out, pushing Lady back against the dresser. She had her teeth bared, stained pink along with the fur around her muzzle. Her eyes darted back and forth from the man and the blade, weary but unafraid.

"Lord!" Ellie called, and the rottweiler darted from Soda to stand at her side. Her hand went automatically to his collar. Then she turned to the man with the knife. "You get away from her and she won't do a thing. Just leave her alone!"

The boy Soda fought lifted his head. His hands were balled up in his shirt, so thick with blood it dribbled onto the carpet.

"Tear into that bitch, Mike!" He shouted through grit teeth. "Kill it!"

Soda kicked him in the chest and the boy doubled over again.

"What the fuck is going on?" Tim's voice drifted in through the hallway. The fight outside had died down without anyone noticing. Now it was only Tim and Darry.

"It bit off Dave's fucking fingers!" Mike defended, jabbing his switchblade at Lady's face. The Kuvasz snapped her jaw warningly, shifting from foot to foot as if she was about to pounce.

Tim turned to Ellie. "Call your dog off."

"Call your's off first!" She shouted back. Lord tugged anxiously at his collar.

If Ellie didn't know any better, she would have sworn she saw the ghost of a smile drift across his hardened face. "Roberts, why don't you take Dave and what's left of his fingers to the hospital. If you're lucky they might be able to sow them back on."

Mike wavered for a moment, weighing his options. Then he took another look at his leader and stashed his blade.

"Lady, come." Ellie called, and she slunk to her owner.

"You're just gonna let them go?" Dave growled, shoving Mike's offered hand away. He wobbled back to his feet and scowled distastefully at Ellie. "They started shit with the Shepards, man! They're asking for a fucking rumble!"

"Naw." Tim shrugged. "You stuck your dick in another man's girl and got caught. This was between you and him. And seein' as he has two dogs and you don't have any more fingers, I suggest you give up and go lick your wounds. You wanna fight him again tomorrow, be my guest."

The boys didn't say anything more as they pushed their way out. Soda collapsed onto Johnny's bed.

"Those are some mean pups you got there, Carter." Tim drawled before following his outfit.

"You alright, buddy?" Darry asked, crossing the room and crouching by his younger brother.

"Sure." Soda's voice cracked. He made an attempt to say more, but then his face screwed up and he had to hide his face in his hands.

Darry grabbed the back of his brother's neck and tugged him against his shoulder. "It's alright, Sodapop. It's alright."

Feeling as if she suddenly an intruder, Ellie released her grip on her dogs. They crawled into a mass of fur by the foot of the bed as she closed the bedroom door.

* * *

Johnny felt his body sway back and forth, tossed like driftwood in the ocean. A shingle was loose by his right foot and it jiggled unsteadily every time he took a breath. He _hated_ heights. He didn't really remember how he developed the fear. He supposed it had something to do with Two-Bit pushing him off the cliff in the quarry three summers ago. Or maybe he had always been scared. There wasn't many tall places in Tulsa.

"This is a bad idea." Pony muttered hesitantly, a big black spider crawling through the attic window.

Curly gave him a nudge from behind, trying to shove the youngest out of his way. "This is a _great_ idea. You pussying out now?"

Pony fell back on his ass before making an awkward, tumbling crab-walk down to Johnny's side. Curly snickered.

Pony nudged his arm. "You alright there, Johnnycake?"

No, he wasn't alright. He was scared shitless. They weren't even near the edge and he was already getting that horrible falling sensation.

"Peachy." He told Ponyboy. Five more minutes and then he'd make a good excuse to go back inside. Why the hell did he even agree to go on the roof anyway?

Curly sat own by Pony. Johnny was glad 'cause Curly was an asshole when he was drunk, but he wouldn't have minded someone on both sides to grab hold of in case he slipped.

"Alright." Pony took the liquor out of his jacket and took a deep breath before taking another sip. He winced and passed it to Curly, then pointed up at the sky. "See? Over there, with those three stars real close together? That's Orion."

"No, I _told_ you." Curly insisted as he took a few drinks. "That's the Little Dipper."

The bottle passed to Johnny. He stared through the neck, trying not to take in the smell of it. He was going to throw up again.

"You think everything is the stupid Little Dipper!"

Curly didn't take that too well. He gestured angrily to the sky. "Where the hell is the Little Dipper then, huh?"

Pony searched the sky for a moment and then said in dismissal, "It's not out tonight."

"Bull_shit_." The Shepard boy scoffed, twisting forward to speak to Johnny. "Do you believe this moron? He thinks stars fucking come and go whenever they please!"

Johnny shrugged a shoulder. "The stars change position throughout the months. Maybe they can see it in Australia right now."

Curly stared at both of them in disbelief.

"Now you're teaming up on me?" He snatched the bottle out of Johnny's grip and stood up. Swaying unsteadily for a moment before finding proper footing on the slope, he strolled around the roof with confidence. "Aren't you boneheads supposed to be smart, going to school and everything? I'm tellin' you right now, that's the motherfuckin' Little Dipper. See, me and Tim went on a run to Arizona once, right, and there's this big college down there called Berkeley or something. Anyway, sitting on this big lawn was a bunch a' women protesting for women's rights or some other bullshit. But the thing is, those girls were real into this shit called 'free love', right? Where basically they just sleep with everyone. I figure it kinda' goes against everything they're chantin' about, but whatever. Anyway, once we heard about that, me and Tim suddenly got real interested in women's right, you get me?"

Curly let out a boisterous laugh. He was standing sideways along the edge of the roof and Johnny swore to all the Gods of every religion in the world and all the devils in hell that Curly was going to end up dead on the lawn.

'_How many Gods are there, anyway?' _Johnny thought, his mind wandering in it's haze of drunken thoughts. He started to try and count them. There was his God, and then there was the Catholic God... or were they the same God? He never knew the difference between the two religions.

"Get back from there before someone sees you." Pony hissed at Curly. He was red nosed and as drunk as the rest of them, but Pony always had such a loud sense of reason. He and Darry were more similar than they would ever know.

"I haven't gotten to my fuckin' point yet, Curtis." Curly started walking with one foot against the other on the edge of the roof like he was a tightrope walker.

There was a Jewish God, and a Muslim God too... Johnny wondered what God the Shepard kid believed in. He must have believed in _something_, or else who did he expect to save his ass when his foot slipped?

"Anyway, I met this weird hippy broad there and she was a real expert on stars and stuff. She even told me that we all got constellations attached to our birthdays and that they're supposed to say something' about our personality. She said I must be a-a... what was it again?" Curly took another swing from the bottle. "Something to to do with a snake?"

Ponyboy sighed. "Scorpio?"

"Right!" Curly pointed at him excitedly. "Yeah, a Scorpio! She said 'You must be a Scorpio 'cause you're real intense', and then she asked what my birthday was, and you know what? She was right! I was a damn Scorpio!"

Johnny found the courage to stand. It wasn't so bad once he was on his feet. The view was amazing, actually. He could see all the way downtown where the buildings shot up like boulders in the desert.

Tip-toeing to Curly, he took the bottle back and made to retreat, but something kept him stuck there. He could see over the edge in his peripherals, but when he turned to look fully, it wasn't fear he felt. The yard looked the same, but different from way up there. The grass was shadowed in the night, a black abyss cut in half by a bridge of stepping stones that appeared to be floating in mid air. Johnny understood it was something to be scared of- that if he slipped he'd fall straight through the lawn and disappear into the depths of nothingness. Yet he felt bathed in calm.

Johnny was sober, suddenly- no, sober wasn't the right word. He was still drunk; his mind was still awash with Godly names and other intangible thoughts. But he was calmer than before. His pulse had settled. He wiped his clammy palm on his jeans and it stayed dry. He felt better; so much better than he had ever felt before. It was as if someone had taken all the weight of the world off his shoulders and finally- _finally, _he could feel relief. Real, untainted relief.

He followed the tangle of houses on each street until he spotting what he believed to be his own. All he could see was the roof. Sometimes he had nightmares about that house. He'd wake up covered in sweat and tears streaming down his face and his hands clutching Lady's fur so tightly she'd whine at him. Johnny didn't think he'd have those dreams tonight.

A hand clamped down over his forearm and he was jerked back. He tripped, tumbled onto his back against the shingles with a grunt.

"You fucking nuts?" Curly shouted above him. "You wanna kill yourself, you goddamn idiot?"

Johnny twisted his head over to Pony. He was standing as well, his hands clenched. He was scared. Johnny had scared them. He hadn't been that close to the edge, had he?

"Hey, Pony?" Johnny asked.

"Yeah, Johnnycake?" Pony responded in a ghostly, shaken voice.

"How many Gods are there?"

Pony sighed and sat down again. "Just one, I think."

"Do you think he ever get's too busy to watch over every single one of us all the time?" Johnny inquired further, "You think that's why bad things happen? He just forgets to take care of us sometimes?"

Ponyboy shrugged. Curly chucked the empty bottle with all his might and it smashed to pieces in the street. He went back to crawl through the attic window.

"You fucking idiots. I never thought a drop-out like me would be smarter than you two. Goddamn bunch of headcases." Just when they thought he was gone, his arm jabbed through the window to point at the sky. "That's the fucking Little Dipper. I fucking know it 'cause that hippy broad told me so, and even she was smarter than you two fucking lunatics."

* * *

Dallas felt the burn of gin as it scorched his throat but he didn't stop drinking until the lack of oxygen forced him to. His goddamn head was aching. _Everything_ was aching, and he hadn't even been in a fight tonight.

Steve pried the bottle out of his hand, offering him a worried glance through the corner of his eyes. They were nearly alone on the front porch aside from a few stragglers. Steve seemed to have been waiting for him when he pulled up to Ellie's house.

"I'm guessing your old man didn't want to just swing by and say hello?"

"Has he ever?" Dally pushed his hair out of his face. He smelled like hay and horse shit but if he had taken the time to drive home and shower he would have been even later than he already was. And he was hankering for a drink- multiple drinks, and maybe a little company.

"That's shit luck." Steve shook his head and sipped on the gin before passing it back. He seemed to understand Dally needed it more than he did. "Is he still in town?"

Dallas took another long gulp and wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. "Yeah, well... He asked me if I wanted to go on a run with him."

Steve's face contorted in uneasiness. He pulled another bottle from his back pocket and took a heavy drink. His expression stayed the same. "You know what I think about that shit, Dal. And you know what Darry'll say."

"Darry ain't my keeper."

"But he looks out for you, don't he? God knows you'll ask him his opinion before you do anything. I'm just tellin' you what his answer'll be." Steve shook his head and scoffed. "Anyway, you got a girl you gotta think about."

"She ain't my keeper either."

"Might as well be. What does he want you to do?"

Dally swished the quickly diminishing liquid around in the bottle. "He needs another man to help him transport some stolen shit from California to New York. It'll be a few trips so... I'll be gone for about a month."

"Why the hell can't he find someone else to go? Why's he gotta ask you?" Steve questioned, playing with the cap in his hand. "The man hasn't even been in town for three fucking years, Dal."

"You think I don't know that?" Dallas shot back, his frustration creeping up in his voice. Of course he knew he shouldn't go. Of course he knew everyone didn't think he should go either. And he knew, more than anyone in the damn overcrowded house, that his father was nothing but a plague. But... God, even after all these years it felt the same. The sound of his father's voice, the reek of cheap cologne and bourbon, the crease between his thick brows... Suddenly Dallas was seven again, black-eyed, soaked in piss and crying in the back of a closet.

"I'm a fuckin' coward, Steve-O." Dally snorted, draining the bottle of gin. He tossed the glass over his shoulder into the yard.

"Jesus." Steve shook his head at him. "Just say no! Hell, if you can't, I'll do it for ya'! I've told my father to fuck off so many times It's practically a hobby."

The front door swung open. The volume of music and chatter rose and then fell again.

"Steve!" It as Evie with her hands balled up in fists. "Were you fighting again?"

Steve sighed and handed the blonde the second bottle of booze. Dallas immediately went to finish it off.

"Naw, baby. Where'd you hear that?" He asked, holding his arms out for his girlfriend.

Evie didn't look convinced. "Everyone's saying there was a fight upstairs with the Shepards and that _you_ started it."

"I didn't!" Steve grumbled indignantly. "If anything, Soda did!"

Dallas slid down from the railing he was perched on. "I'm going inside."

"Sound's like a good idea." Evie said, suddenly remembering he was there as well. "Better find your girlfriend before someone else does."

He flipped her the bird as he passed, narrowly avoiding Steve's punch.

Inside it was nearly claustrophobic. Ellie's house wasn't large enough to hold the same amount as Buck's. It was a struggle just to get through the door. He rounded the bottom floor a few times, spending more time drinking than really looking for her. After a while he got bored and went back to the kitchen to grab another beer. He was good and sauced by then, just the way he liked it. Soda could get drunk off life all he liked; Dallas found parties unbearable unless he had a strong drink in his system.

Ellie was stepping out of her bedroom as he came up the stairs. Her gaze caught his immediately.

"You." She crossed her arms over her chest. "Where have you been?"

He closed the distance between them in a few long strides. "Hey."

"Don't 'hey' me, bub. You were supposed to be here hours ago-What are you doing!"

Dallas bent down to her waist and flung her over his shoulder.

"Dallas!" She pounded her small fists against his back in defiance. "Are you crazy? Everyone can see my butt like this!"

There was only a few stragglers left in the hall, but none of them were standing in their path or had any view except for her reddening face. Dallas gave her ass a playful squeeze as he walked into her into the bedroom. Something between a gasp and a laugh fell from her mouth involuntarily.

"Put me down." She insisted as he kicked the door shut behind them.

Dallas obliged by tossing her limp body into the bed. The mattress sank from the impact and the white down blankets flew up and engulfed her for a second and before she was sprung back up, smiling. Dallas fell in facing her, propping his head in his palm.

"I got caught in traffic." He said, brushing bangs away to see Ellie's face clearer. Her eyes drifted shut as his palm flattened the fly-away hair on her crown.

Ellie let out a long, content sigh. "Your tone is convincing but your words aren't. Where were you?"

"At the ranch." Dallas felt her fingers brush against the stubble growing on his chin. "Some things came up."

She caught his eye. "What? Is Ruby feeling any better? Is she okay?"

"She's fine." He didn't want to talk about this anymore. Any more prying and he'd end up telling her about his father. The less she knew, the less he'd be nagged about it.

Ellie felt the change in his mood and quieted. Her palm flattened against his cheek, warm and soothing. Her face was turned up to gaze at him, a small smile widening her mouth and brightening her eyes. She looked so peaceful; so open. And why wouldn't she be? She had no secrets or regrets. Ellie lived a clean, honest life; the only threats to that were out of her control. Dallas loved that smile. It was a rare, honest thing that brought an almost saintly glow to her face.

"Why are you staring at me so weirdly?" Ellie asked, biting her cheek. She made to retreat but Dallas was quick enough to grab her around the waist and twisted so that he was above her.

"Just thinking about how beautiful you are." Dallas smirked, watching a blush pink her cheeks. He dipped down and pressed a playful kiss against her lips, capturing a laugh. For once they both tasted like booze, though Ellie was arguably more fruity than the gin he had been consuming. She hummed a sigh, threading her fingers through the hair on the nape of his neck to pull them closer.

"Are you drunk?" She asked as they broke apart for air.

Dallas responded by brushing his mouth to her neck, nipping at her creamy skin. He could feel her pulse quicken against his lips, her breast heaving against his chest. She was so damn warm.

Ellie pulled him back up, silently begging for another kiss. Dallas gave in without a fight, pleased to see she was craving him as much as he hungered for her. The palm of his hand went to Ellie's neck, digits tracing the smooth curve of her jaw to coax her mouth open. He sampled the faint sweetness that painted her tongue and relished the taste.

Dallas ran a hand up the back of her thigh, pushing the stiff dress fabric up to her hips and gripping the softness of her ass. Ellie's grip tightened in his hair. Encouraged by her response, he wedged his knee between her locked legs and forced them apart.

This time it was Ellie who broke away. She blinked up at him through heavy lidded eyes, consumed by her own fervor. Dallas held her gaze as his fingers hooked the hem of her panties.

"Dally," She whispered tenderly, "I- I don't know-"

Ellie cut off with a moan, breaking their stare as her silvery globes squeezed closed. Dallas smirked at her new expression, his pride growing with every lush gasp that tumbled from her lips. Her legs instinctively curled around his waist and he grabbed her hip to keep her steady. She was so receptive; so eager to show him just how much she enjoyed the feelings rushing through her body. He felt that familiar pooling of heat under his navel as he watched her.

He moved his fingers away, catching her mouth with another bruising kiss. He abandoned tenderness, nicking her bottom lip with his teeth, exploring her mouth without restraint. Ellie trembled underneath him, grabbing his wrist in a tentative attempt to bring it back to it's previous task. Usually Dallas would be more than willing, but tonight he had other plans. Bigger plans.

Dallas briskly flicked the button of his jeans open, letting out a groan of his own as some of the pressure was released. But he wasn't quite as clever as he wanted to be. Ellie froze immediately against him.

She cupped his cheeks and tore away. "Dallas, we can't."

"Come on, Princess." He begged, hooking two fingers around the hem of her panties and scorching a trail of kisses along her collarbone down to the beginnings of her breasts. "You'll like it, I promise."

"I'm sure I would, Dallas." Ellie caught his wandering hand to stop him, accidentally brushing against his heat. Her pink cheeks bloomed a violent red. "But that isn't the point. I- I can't do this. Not yet."

Dallas burrowed his face in the crook of her neck, clenching his teeth to hold back a curse. His class ring was laid against the mattress, fastened to her by a thin silver chain. It pressed painfully into his forehead. "Not until your married."

Ellie's fingers fluttered through his hair in an apology. He took a long, deep breath and then brought his head back up. She refused to lock gazes with him.

"Then for fuck's sake..." Dallas snapped, wrenching her hand away and rocked forward, hip against hip. Despite the thin fabric between them, the contact sent a heavenly shiver up his spine, coaxing out a low moan. Underneath him, Ellie's skin prickled in goosebumps, her breath hitching against his cheek. "Then we'll get married." He growled, kissing her roughly, jutting forward again to feel her curl up against him.

Dallas realized through the haze of heat that Ellie was whimpering something against his mouth. He ignored it, slipping a hand underneath to unzip her dress. He was so sick of waiting. If marriage was the only way to get her legs open, then fine, he'd marry her. At that particular moment, with her warm, soft body sprawled vulnerably underneath him, it didn't seem like that bad of a compromise. He wanted Ellie; to be inside her, to hear that gasping voice that cried his name so sweetly. Most of all he desired to take that sacred part she cherished. He needed to brand her, mark her, scar her so irrevocably that even if they never made it down that isle, he'd still have her in a way no other man could.

She clutched his shirt, digging her knuckles against his chest as her legs tried to nudge closed.

Dallas propped himself up on his elbows. "Fuck, Ellie! _What_?"

"Get off!" Ellie cried, shoving him a little more roughly, "Get off me, Dallas!"

"What the hell's wrong now, you crazy broad?"

"You! You're what's wrong!" She tried to wiggle away but he caught the loose dress fabric at her navel and kept her in place. Realizing her struggle was for nothing, she turned still and glared misty-eyed at him. "Do you think this is a joke? I told you I can't have sex until marriage and I meant it, Dallas. It's not some flexible rule! It's not something you can just convince me to forget about. It's _real_."

"Oh, I fucking know. How can I forget when you throw it in my face every time we get like this?" He shoved her thighs apart again with his knee, refusing to let Ellie close up on him. "So you wanna get married! Fine! I said we'd get married. What else do you want from me?"

Ellie laughed dryly, dropping her head back against the mattress in defeat. "Get married? God, Dallas, do you think I'm that stupid?"

No. That was her answer. It hit him hard and quick like the fire of a machine-gun pressed straight to his chest. Dallas slid off and buttoned up his jeans. "Right." He muttered, mostly to himself. "I forgot I wasn't some all-american rich boy."

"That's not it and you know it." Ellie told him, sitting up on the bed.

Dallas took one look at the tears forming in her eyes and scoffed. _Cry_, he thought blackly. _See if I care._

"Where are you going?" She called out as he walked towards the door. In the next moment she was scrambling off the bed to grab his hand. He wrenched it away, staring at the empty space above her head so he wouldn't have to see the hurt on her face. Her voice cracked. "Y-you told me this morning you didn't want to marry me, and now just 'cause you want to sleep with me you're suddenly so willing? Do you think I can't see where this is going?"

"What else do you want from me?" He shouted back at her, disgusted- at her or at himself, he didn't quite know. "Of course I want to fuck you! And you want to get married! So we both get what we want! Should I shout it on the goddamn rooftops? You want me to go downstairs and tell the whole fucking house that I want to marry you? Whatever you want, I'll fucking do it!"

"For sex."

He thew his hands up. "Yes! For fucking sex! What else is a marriage for?"

"For romance," Ellie told him, rubbing the tears from her cheek. "For family and support. For love, Dallas. Do you love me?"

It felt like ice was creeping up from the tips of his fingers and toes, slowly overtaking him.

"Do you?" She stepped closer, grasping his hand again.

The bedroom door swung open. Ellie jumped back in surprise and Dallas moved in front of her, fully aware of the dress just barely hanging from her body.

_Oh fuck_. His mouth was suddenly the texture of sandpaper. That long, firey hair; the smooth, mile-high legs; those dagger-like claws she called nails. Sylvia looked as good as the day he met her.

"Oh no!" She exclaimed in an overly-sugared voice, leaning a shoulder against the door frame. "Trouble in paradise?"

Just as good but just as callous. Today was fucking full of surprises.

This was too much. Dallas could just barely deal with Ruby and his father, but he couldn't take Ellie and Sylvia as well. He needed to get out of this room. He needed to salvage something from this hell-hole of a night; there must be some sort of fate out there in the pounding music and cigarette smoke that wasn't going to make him want to drown himself in the fucking shower.

He slipped his hand out from Ellie's and started towards the door.

"Where are you going?" She asked again, taking a step as if she meant to follow him.

Dallas glared at her over his shoulder. "Goin' to stop wasting my time and find someone who isn't a goddamn prude."

"I can help with that." Sylvia winked at him as he passed.

Ellie let out a sob from within the room, but he didn't dare turn around. If he did he'd only get sucked back in.

_Zing!_

Something whipped past his head, nearly nicking his ear before it snapped against the far wall and clattered to the floor. It was his class ring, still strung through her chain. He stared at it for a moment, waiting for Ellie to say something to him, but it never came.

Shoving his hands in his jacket, Dallas turned away and headed back down to the party.

* * *

**Hey y'all! So... dramatic, hey? I don't even know where to start. Um... Okay, so yes, Dallas going down on Ellie is cringe-worthy or hot or both. That's good. That's exactly how Ellie feels about it too. If you haven't noticed she can't even say penis. Also, Dallas wanted a blowjob. That's what he was referring to if you didn't get that. More on that topic, I know Dallas willing to marry Ellie sounds kinda OOC, but this chapter and the next chapter should show his more selfish reasons for it and how it affects Ellie's relationship with him. It's not totally out of no-where, trust me!**

**Johnny's weird, drunken roof moment wasn't just filler, either. Can you guys guess what I was foreshadowing there?**

**Also, Soda. Ugh. Babe. Stop hurting yourself.**

**To answer some questions:**

** I've got about 47 chapters in total, give or take. So I'll be around for a little while longer. It's been over a year since I started this fic, isn't that amazing?!**

**I could make Ellie fight those Soc girls but let's be honest, her ass would be grass. She has literally no confrontational experience, let alone fighting experience. She'd die. And then who else and I going to write about?**

**See ya' guys later!**


	33. Gods and Monsters

33.

Ellie woke up in the pale sunlight of a new day. She was sprawled over the duvet of her bed, turned to the wall, her face so dry and stiff it stung when she blinked. The cold autumn air bit at her back, but there was something warm there as well- fingers trying to tug up the zipper of her dress.

"Dallas?" Her voice was scratchy and painfully hopeful.

They abandoned the broken zipper and took the edge of the blanket, folding it over her. After a shiver of fresh coolness, the feathered down began to heat.

"No, Johnny." He corrected in a whisper. There was a pause and then the mattress sank under his weight. Ellie could feel him lie down, barely touching except for the arm he slung along her back, his fist resting between her shoulder blades.

Ellie closed her eyes again. "Where have you been?"

"I fell asleep on the roof with Ponyboy." Johnny said with a yawn. "You can see everything from up there. All the way to Oklahoma City, I bet."

"Dangerous." Ellie mumbled, half asleep. Johnny's only response was a small, humored exhale.

When she woke up again she was alone and it was raining. For a moment she wondered if she had slept all the way to the next day. It certainly felt as if she had. Her mouth was as dry as cotton and the stiffness and spread to her fingers, like she had swam in the ocean and forgot to wash the salt off. And her _head_. An ache pounded against all sides of her skull, stronger than she had ever felt before.

Ellie rolled over so that she was on her back, then rolled over again so that she slid off the edge and onto the floor. Managing to fall on her feet, she gave a slight push off the mattress and straightened. The rain stopped just as she glanced out the window.

Massaging the indent at the back of her neck, Ellie dragged herself into the hallway. She paused there, feeling as if something significant had happened, though she couldn't quite place it. The feeling hung in the air around her like a figure in the fog, ominous and alarming.

_Oh God._

Her eyes darted to the floor, searching apprehensively for-

It was gone. The blood drained from her face, rushing down to her heart where is beat in a heavy, thumping pace.

"Oh God." Ellie repeated out loud, grasping at the empty space below the collarbone as she continued to search the rest of the hall. It must be there, somewhere; she just needed to look harder. Maybe it had rolled underneath a doorway, she thought in desperate hope, or down the stairs. Falling to her knees, she clawed her hands against the wooden floor, following the hallway down to the stairs. Then she got up again and walked down the steps sideways, turning back every few to check the crevices.

"What are you doing?"

Ellie paused a few steps from the bottom floor, tightening her grip on the rail as a cold breeze sent a shiver along her back. She had forgotten the state of her dress.

"Are you ignoring me? That would be awkward. There's literally no one else around."

Ellie turned slowly to face Sylvia. She was leaning against the wall, her arms folded over her chest and her long red nails pressed delicately over her forearm. Wearing a matching red blouse and frightfully tight black capris above high heels, she captured the devil not only in her outfit but the vicious smile on her face.

"N-not ignoring you..." Ellie licked her parched lips, casting her gaze down to the floor. "Just trying to think of something to say."

Sylvia pushed off the wall and made slinking, cat-like steps towards Ellie. "Yes, I can imagine it might be hard to find words for someone you stabbed in the back- especially from someone like _you_."

"Sylvia, I-"

Ellie saw Sylvia's hand come towards her face and meant to reel back. She was too slow. A ferocious pain seared across her cheek and she fell backwards onto the stairs, clutching her face. Her mouth fell open in anguish, but the pain was too sharp to even scream.

Above her, Sylvia moaned. "I promised myself I wouldn't hit you but... God, that whiny, tearful voice of your's! I can't help it."

Ellie brought her hand away from her cheek and saw a thin line of blood smudged just under her index finger. She gaped silently, pressing her hand to her newly stinging wound. At least her headache had subsided.

Sylvia sat down on the steps beside Ellie, stretching her long legs out as she took a deep, calming breath. "I have my flaws, Ellie. I know that more than anyone. But so do you. When you came here last spring, I reached out and tried to be friends. Did I ever do anything horrible to you?"

"No." Ellie responded without having to think. Sylvia had been mean but not cruel. At least not to her.

"No, I wasn't. But you were." Sylvia lit up a cigarette. "So... I came here this morning to accept the apology I know you're just itching to give."

"What makes you so sure?"

The redhead scoffed. "Oh please. You _have_ to apologize. After all, you've got to keep up that adorable, sweet, innocent girl reputation of yours."

"That's not..." Ellie shook her head venomously, confused and frightened and wishing more than anything that Sylvia would let her explain herself. But what could she say, really? She wasn't quite sure where to start. Honestly, before last night she hadn't expected to see the redheaded she-wolf ever again.

"We all have parts to play, Ellie. You be the princess and I'll be the evil witch bound to be-" She stuck up her fingers and gestured quotation marks in the air. "-'Thwarted by your all-encompassing goodness'. I've made my peace with that."

Ellie shook her head. "Life isn't some fairy tale-"

"Where do you think fairy tales come from?" Sylvia interrupted, "Reality. You stole my boyfriend- I'd say my first love, but God forbid I have real emotions. You stole Dallas away, breaking another boy's heart in the process, but no one batted an eye because you're _Ellie_ and you didn't _mean_ to and the only person you really hurt was Sylvia, the horrible bitch that deserves only the worst kinds of hell. Right?"

"Sylvia, honestly, I'm-"

"-And I accept your apology." Sylvia flashed a faux-smile and fluffed her long hair to add volume. "You won the battle. Congrats. Don't waste your time denying or else you'll miss out in the enjoyment of your victory."

She stretched out like a languid cat, yawning. It was the perfect opportunity for Ellie to speak up but instead she remained silent, clutching her stinging cheek and begging herself not to start crying. Sylvia was right, after all. Everyone's minds were filled with the image of a redheaded monster of a girl, not to be trusted or loved or forgiven. But that wasn't true and Ellie should have known better.

"So you won't fuck him, right?" Sylvia started up again, "I overheard some of your fight from last night."

The brunette girl felt a squeezing sensation in her chest, similar to fear but so much more intricate. She brought the edge of her dress to her bleeding cheek, unsure as to how to proceed. As a girl who had been with Dallas for years, Sylvia could give Ellie better advice than anyone. She could also give the worst. But Sylvia had never lied to Ellie before. In fact, she had been nothing but brutally honest.

"I can't." She finally replied.

"You won't." Sylvia shot back readily, "Are you scared?"

"It's more complicated than that."

Sylvia's eyebrow raised to a pointed arch and she spoke with an air of knowing smugness. "Is it really, now? Why do you think you can't sleep with him? Because of your reputation? I think we already cleared that up. No matter what you do you'll always be sweet, innocent Ellie. Are you worried about what your parents will think? Don't be; they're miles away and- judging from how long you've been here alone- don't really care about you anymore. Is it your future husband, then? It's the sixties, Ellie, and soon it will be the seventies. One thing I learned outside of this one-star city is that love is free now, darling. Everyone does it and no body cares. So what's really holding you back?"

Ellie opened her mouth for a response she hadn't yet come up with. Sylvia beat her to the punch.

"You are scared." She stood up and repositioned herself at the foot of the stairs, locking gaze with the brunette. "You're scared that he doesn't deserve it. After all this time pretending that you see a different side of him -a kinder, better side-, the truth is, Dallas is a no-class hood-"

"Thats not true." Ellie cried, relieved to find footing in their conversation. Sylvia wasn't there to accept an apology and mend their friendship. She was there to tear Ellie from the inside out. And it had been working- until now.

Sylvia was wrong...wasn't she?

She saw the doubt in Ellie's gaze at latched onto it, smirking all the while. "So what is it then?"

"It's just..." Ellie chewed on her lip for a moment, turning to stare down at her bare feet. There was an empty glass sitting a step below, a miniscule amount of dark liquid spilling onto the hardwood. "Marriage means commitment. It means he won't run off once he's had what he wanted. I just... I just want to know..."

"You want to know if he loves you?" Sylvia asked, and though her expression couldn't be seen, the sharp edges of her voice had smoothed over. Ellie knew that tone; it was pity.

"Here." Something fell into her lap. It was Dally's ring. She turned to look at Sylvia again, but her eyes were undecipherable. "Go find out."

Ellie hooked the ring up in her index fingers, holding it there with her thumb. It looked the same; weighed the same; felt the same. "Why would you...Why are you really here, Sylvia? It's hard to believe you came all this way to give me relationship advice."

"The amount of pain I could inflict upon you, Dallas could inflict twofold." Sylvia took another deep drag of her cigarette. "But you're right. I do have alternative motives, darling. All villains do."

Casually, she crushed the end of her smoke on the railing and flicked the remnants aside. Then, with one last glance at the girl sitting on the stairs, she turned on her pointed high-heel and made to leave.

"Wait!" Ellie called out suddenly as another memory shot up in her mind. "Do you think... after Dallas said he was going to.. find someone else..."

"Are you asking if I slept with him?"

Ellie nodded.

"No, I couldn't find him after that." Sylvia shrugged. "But that doesn't mean he didn't sleep with someone else. You broke up with him, silly. You practically threw him at another girl."

She laughed at Ellie's pailing complexion.

"What do I do?" She asked as Sylvia turned to the door.

"Fuck him." She replied, cackling. "Or at least blow him, for God's sake."

* * *

Johnny waited until the door shut before sticking his head out of his bedroom door.

"Is she gone?" He called down the stairs.

"Yes."

Satisfied, he cracked the door open wider to let the dogs out of his room. Lady's white coat brushed against his leg as she passed, dipping her nose down to sniff briefly against his jeans. Though he spent last night on the roof and then in Ellie's room, on regular nights Lady could be found asleep and drooling on his bed, her shaggy warmth pressed against his back. She liked him- more than Lord did- and Johnny liked her back. He had always wanted a pet growing up. He used to read books about boys and their dogs finding adventures. The dog somehow always ended up dying, but that wasn't the point.

Johnny followed them down the steps, stopping a few steps before the bottom where Ellie sat. He nudged her with his foot. "Two-Bit's gone home."

"He was here?"

"In my bed." Johnny's face squished up in disgust. "He was still drunk and kept mumbling something about the war, but the weirdest thing was that he was naked."

Ellie turned her head to blink at him. "Where was his clothes?"

"Not in the room."

They shared a confused look, then Johnny stuck his hand out. Ellie grabbed it and he tugged her up.

"Are you hungry?" She asked as he guided her into the livingroom. The damage of last night wasn't as bad as he envisioned it to be, but it was still enough to make them sigh. The place reeked of something stale and sour and by the third step both of Johnny's socks were soaked in an unknown liquid.

He went to open the doors leading to the back porch while she picked cans and bottles off the sofa and set them on the coffee table.

"No food." Johnny insisted, already feeling nauseous. He sat down on the side of the couch and Ellie sat on the other, kicking her feet up onto his lap. Digging into the front of his jeans, he pulled out a packet and lit a cigarette. He took one drag, gagged, coughed, and snubbed it against the side of the now beer-stained couch while Ellie wasn't looking.

Ellie huffed, staring out past the television and through the finger-smeared windows."This is going to take ages to clean."

"I have work." Johnny told her hurriedly, gesturing to his washed and clothed body. She sent him a look that told him he'd be coming home to half the house still a mess. He made another face. "What was Sylvia doing here?"

Ellie brought her fist up above her head. On a thin chain, Dally's ring swayed back and forth like a pendulum. "I think she's trying to kill me, Johnny. She's trying to gain my trust so we'll be friends again and then she'll lure me into some dark, secluded place and she's going to rip out my eyes with those claws."

He smiled widely, amused at the exaggerated panic written on her face. Ellie could overthink things sometimes, riling herself up. Though he wouldn't be the least bit surprised if that was actually Sylvia's plan.

In his silence, her expression softened into a gentler, honest worry."I kind of broke up with Dallas last night."

"Kind of?"

"I wouldn't-" She blushed. "He told me he was going to find someone else that'll put out and I flung his ring at his head. Do you think he really did, though?"

Johnny turned away from her to think, but all he could remember about last night was a long, dark abyss. His stomach twisted again, though this time it wasn't nausea. The foggy memory tugged at Johnny like a string tied around his very soul, coaxing him to look deeper, search through his mind, but he couldn't find anything there. Just darkness. It felt as if something horrible had happened last night, but besides the hangover there was no evidence of harm. He didn't even have a bruise.

He thought briefly of asking Ellie what had happened to him last night, but for some unknown reason he felt too embarrassed. Johnny cleared his throat. "Sleep with someone? Nah. Who'd want to?"

"Okay..." Ellie hummed, sounding as if she had no other choice but to be convinced by his words. She looped the chain around her neck and fiddled aimlessly with the ring. "Do you think I should go see him? You think he'll be mad still?"

"Just go." Johnny insisted, brushing her feet off of his lap to get up. "I gotta go to work anyway. I'll walk you to the bus stop."

* * *

Ellie's shoes were covered in mud by the time she finished the trek from the bus stop to Dallas'. It only added to the grimy feeling she had all over; Johnny had nagged her to hurry and she barely had enough time to change into fresh clothes and brush her teeth. She looked like a complete mess, she realized as she crossed the large gravel lot at the front. There were bags under her eyes, a pink and puffy scratch under that, parched lips, a faint smell of booze on her skin... she would have turned back home if Slash-J hadn't seen her.

"Well, if it ain't Carter's little cowgirl!" He crowed, waving at her from the front porch. Ellie didn't have to search very far into her memory to remember him; Slash's appearance wasn't easily forgotten and neither was his personality.

"Hello Mr. Slash." She greeted, climbing the steps with a courteous smile. A man was sitting just behind him on an old, rotting chair, smoking a cigarette.

Slash reached out and sandwiched her palm between his two meaty hands, patting her affectionately. "How's your father doing, do you know? Last I heard, he was locked up."

She didn't know what else to do but nod.

"Well, that's alright!" Slash-J nodded as he released her hand. He seemed to regret his question as much as she regretted leaving her house. "Daniel's a smart man. He'll be out by Christmas, I'm sure. But if you need anything at all, little missy, you let me know. You're father and I go way back and I'd be too ashamed to face him if I didn't watch out for his kin."

He took a step to the side and Ellie was finally able to see the other man fully. He was hunched over, more interested in the cigarette clutched in his yellowed fingers than anything else. He didn't look very healthy. Though he couldn't be any older than Slash, his dark blonde hair was heavily streaked with grey and fell so long that he had to tie it at the nape of his neck. What muscles he had was over-pronounced by his lack of fat, his clothes hung loosely over his frame. What was most peculiar about the man was the tattoos running up his arms. Some were done well, but most of them were stick-and-pokes like the switchblades the boys had marked their bodies with. His face was cast down, but Ellie could see a strong jaw, a crooked nose, a lopsided mouth; he would have been handsomer if he had taken care of himself.

"This here is Daniel Curtis' daughter, Elizabeth." Slash-J introduced, patting her shoulder affectionately. "Ain't she a beauty just like her mama?"

Ellie turned red as the man took another long drag of his cigarette, hardly looking. "Thought Carter had a son."

"That's my older brother, Danny." She explained quietly, wondering how long she would have to continue this conversation before it was polite to excuse herself. "But I have a baby brother as well. His name's Sam."

"Don here used to chase your mama up and down the streets." Slash laughed as he nudged his fat thumb at the man. "All the way up to her wedding day! God, your father hated his guts like nothing else. Wasn't meant to be, I suppose. Right, Don?"

Don grunted noncommittally.

Slash didn't seem to mind. His gaze drifted up the the rafters of the overhang that covered porch, dreaming of days long past. "Funny how things work out, though, with her turning out exactly like her mama and Dallas turning out to look like you. Almost like some sick fate, huh?"

"What are you goin' on about?" Don asked, finally taking an interest. He turned his head to look at Slash and Ellie had to stifle a gasp. Those frozen blue eyes, the sculpt of his face, the shape of his lips, the ears, the neck, adam's apple, the collarbone, posture- Dallas! It was Dallas, only thirty years older!

"This is Dally's girl!" Slash explained, smiling at Ellie. "I'm just saying, I never thought I'd see the day when a Carter and Winston would get along, let alone date!"

The shock from the man's face wore off quickly, leaving her with a more rational mind. It wasn't Dallas. It was Dallas' father. This new knowledge only made her more frightened.

"Were you here to see him as well?" She asked, inching towards the door. Maybe they had been on their way out when their conversation was struck. She hoped so; it felt dangerous to be in so close a proximity to Dallas' father. It felt wrong somehow; like she was going behind his back.

Slash nodded. "We're tryin', but he's in a foul mood. Nearly caught my finger when he slammed the door in our faces. But I'm sure glad to see you here, Missy!"

He turned to the window beside Don's head and rapped on it hard enough to make the glass shake. "Dallas! We've got your girl held ransom. You better open the door before your old man starts telling any bed-wetting stories!"

It took less than a minute for the front door to swing open. Dallas was dressed in an old t-shirt and jeans, his feet left bare and his hair uncombed.

He glared at Ellie and jabbed a finger to the steps. "Beat it."

"Dal-!" She started in protest before she was cut off. He growled wordlessly and stepped out from the doorway, grabbing her wrist to tug her inside.

"Go upstairs." Dallas instructed in a steadier tone, walking her up the first few steps. Ellie turned back to him as he let go, ready to argue, but there was something in his expression that told her it was better to wait.

"Come on now," Slash said as the men followed them in. "Don't be so rude, Dallas. Let the little lady stay and chat with us. I bet your old man would like to get to know his future daughter-in-law."

Ellie watched Dallas's father walk over to the bar. He paid them little attention as he poured himself a glass of whiskey.

"Go." Dallas commanded again, his hand shoving against her hip. She pressed her lips into a tight line, nodded, and crawled up to the top of the stairs. She waited around the corner until she was sure Dallas was out of eyesight before tip-toeing back to the last step, tucking her feet up to make sure she wouldn't be seen.

"He's got you wrapped up in this crap too?" Dallas asked, though Ellie couldn't tell which man he was addressing.

"It's a good deal, kid. You should be chomping at the bit to grab it." Slash answered. "I know the man your old man's gonna work for and-"

"That doesn't surprise me." Dallas sneered, "You bastards always seem to know each other."

Ellie leaned against the wall, small enough so that her head tucked neatly underneath the banister. She didn't know what deal they were talking about but she certainly wasn't liking the sound of it. 'Deal' and 'wrapped up in' weren't usually used when referring to innocent, honest work.

"It's good money, Dal. Very good money. Don't you want to buy your girl something nice?"

Dallas's tone was unrelenting. "She's got enough nice crap to last a lifetime. If I was goin' on this job, It's going to be for _me_."

"So you're considering it?"

"Of course he is." The oldest Winston finally spoke, his voice so low and gravelly that Ellie had to bend even lower in an attempt to hear him better. "He's goin' to waste our time pretending like he doesn't want to come but he'd be in the damn truck when I pull out of Tulsa."

Dallas snorted, sounding closer to the stairs than before. "You go ahead and think that, old man. I'm..."

His voice faltered for one alarming second before coming out stronger and louder than ever. "I'm not some fucking kid scampering at your heels anymore, Don. Go find some other bastard kid of yours to order around. It won't take long; God knows there's one around every corner."

There was a long silence. Scared that he might be making his way to the stairs to come see her, Ellie was caught between running into his room or crawling a few steps lower to find out what was really happening.

Slash's companionable laugh cut into the room. "Enough of that, boys! Never saw a man and his son so hostile! I remember a time when you begged him to take you along on jobs, and now you don't want to go?"

"I was twelve." Dallas responded, more exhausted than anything. There was more he wanted to say, Ellie could tell, but something was stopping him. The worry growing in her stomach only felt heavier.

"What difference does it make?" Don asked, and there was a clink of glass. "From what I see, ain't much happened from then to now."

"He's in love and out of love with you, that's what's changed." Slash supplied with another laugh. "Doesn't want to leave her on her lonesome for so long. Can 'ya blame him?"

"Fuck off." Dallas grumbled, "Really, fuck off. Get out."

"...Listen, Dallas, I've got a bit of money invested in this job. I know you and your old man can get this job done quicker than anyone else. So I'll give you a proposition: Go on this run and I'll make sure Spring- Ruby get's a visit from the best vet in town."

The sound of a chair's legs scraping against wood followed Slash's words. Ellie scrambled from her seat, wincing as the floorboards creaked underneath. She tip-toed as quickly and quietly as she could manage all the way to Dallas' room, wincing again at the groan the door made as it opened and closed behind her.

"A job." She mumbled to herself once she was safe and sound. Her gaze fell across the room, looking without seeing. A job... Did this mean Dallas was... going to leave? She knew he was reluctant, but still, his father might be right. There wasn't a lot stopping Dallas from going on that trip. He's usually in and out of town anyway, either on runs with Tim or out to races. He'd been around more often than not ever since they started dating, but she could see he was fighting to keep money in his pocket with ranch work. Maybe he _needed_ to go on a job.

Dallas walked in through the bedroom door, casting her the briefest of glances. She watched him head to his dresser, struck again by the uncanny resemblance between son and father. It wasn't hard for her mind to hurry back to his wedding proposal, as flimsy an offer it had been. Was Don what she would end up with if she had said yes? A tired old man, cold to even his own children? Would he even be around by then, or would he be long gone? Ellie tried her best to believe otherwise- after all, this was a man that had abandoned his son after years of what she assumed was cruel parenting. But even their personalities were the same. Perhaps kids really did grow up to be their parents, no matter how much they tried otherwise.

"Dal?" She called out in a voice that was far too small and meek.

In the middle of peeling off his shirt, he grunted in acknowledgement. Ellie closed the space between them, grabbing his wrist. Dallas turned his gaze down to her, piercing and unreadable as ever.

She straightened and caught his look head on, gathering what little courage she had. "I don't want you to go anywhere."

"I should have known you'd listen in on us." He scoffed, leaning back against the dresser. "What the hell are you doing here, anyway?"

Ellie felt a surge of annoyance at the way he had brushed off her statement. "What do you think?"

"I don't know what the hell I think." Dallas snapped back at her, grabbing his ring from where it hung around her neck. He brought it up to her face. "I know you're wearing my ring even after you threw it at my face yesterday. I know you don't have any goddamn intention of having sex but you think stringin' me along is just peachy-fucking-keen. I know that one day you're going to get bored and run off to get hitched to some Soc. So why don't we just cut the strings now, huh? You can go husband hunting and I'll go back to sticking it in Sylvia. Problem solved."

"Stop it." Ellie practically begged, shrinking back as he let go of the ring and it thumped against her chest. "That's not what I want and... and that's not what you want either."

Dallas chuckled at her, dark and cold. She knew he was about to say something else- dispute her claims- but she didn't want to hear it. The more they talked the more it seemed real, as if this was really the end. He couldn't walk away from her now, not after everything... not before all the things that could be...

"Darling-" He started mockingly, cut off as Ellie wrapped her arms around his neck and shot up on her tip-toes to press her lips against his. Dallas' reaction was immediate. He cupped her face in his hands, his fingers weaving into her hair and the back of her neck to keep her there as he deepened the kiss. Ellie sighed against him, so relieved- so utterly relieved to know he still wanted her. She inched closer still, running her hands along his sides and back, feeling muscles jump and shift at her touch. Ellie pulled away for air and found herself being twisted so that she was the one with her back against the dresser. His hands left her head to cup her bottom, kneading the soft flesh for a moment before he lifted her up onto the surface. She found herself kissing Dallas again, his tongue slipping inside, dominant over her's as it explored the contours of her mouth. As they continued he became rougher, nipping hard at her lower lip, tightening his grip in her hair until it hurt. He was angry and growing angrier and she couldn't blame him. This was the problem, after all. What was the point of getting him riled up when they both knew she'd have to stop him before that point of no return?

"Dallas..." She whimpered against his lips, her voice lined with guilt.

He stilled. His face was still so close to her's, their noses touching, his breath fanning over her face. He sounded desperate as he ground out her name. "_Ellie_."

She turned away, brushing her cheek against his as one hand went to his shoulder. The switchblade etched into his skin caught her attention. She stared at the blackened lines, less sharp now that the skin had begun to heal over top. Ellie traced a finger over the blade, then across the gentle surge of muscle that made up his pectoral to the ridges of his stomach. His flesh was both soft and solid, constricting with shivers as her hand slipped lower and lower.

"Ellie." He said again, frustrated and confused. "What are you doing?"

The tips of her nails scraped through the tuft of hair above the waistband of his jeans. Dallas made a sudden noise in the back of his throat, too rough to be a gasp. His hips bucked forward instinctively and Ellie felt a glimpse of the pressure building just below.

"I just want you to be happy." Ellie admitted in a whisper, dipping down to kiss his shoulder. Finally her fingers touched the leather of his belt. She brought her other hand down to fumble with the loops and tucks, attempting to tug the strip out from under the buckle with shaking hands. "I don't want you to be mad at me."

Dallas caught both of her wrists in a bruising grip, pulling them up to press them against her chest between them. "What the fuck?" He hissed, "What the _fuck_?"

Ellie stared at him, just as hurt as she was embarrassed, and watched the anger thunder in his face. "I thought this was what you wanted?"

"How are you that stupid?" Dallas asked, shaking Ellie from her perch on the dresser. "This isn't..." At a loss for words, he dropped her hands and took a step back, running his hand through his hair in frustration.

"I'm trying to fix this." Ellie told him, reaching a hand out, hooking her fingers into the loops of his belt and tried to pull him back. But he wouldn't budge, so instead she slid off the dresser and approached him. "I know I'm being selfish, so..."

Dallas didn't say anything as she finished undoing his belt, but she could feel his gaze burning into her face, turning it pink as she popped open the button of his jeans and tugged the flaps to open the zipper. It was then that she froze, staring down at the waistband of his underwear, his lean torso writhing with each breath. She didn't know what to do next, and whatever it was she didn't have the courage for it.

Ellie leaned her forehead against his chest and sighed. Almost immediately she felt Dallas stroking her arm.

"Ellie. This isn't working."

"Just give me a second." She begged, tightening her grip on his jeans as if he might shove her away. "Just give me a second and I'll- I'll... I can do this..."

"That's not what I mean." Dallas went on, moving from her shoulders up to her neck, running his thumb over the shell of her ear. Pulling her face up, he pressed his lips against her's in a firm kiss that tasted horribly of finality. When he retreated, his expression was unreadable once more. "I can't wait around any longer, Princess."

"So don't!" Ellie exclaimed desperately. She tried to make her hands move, to do what he wanted, to make him happy. But she _couldn't, _so instead she tugged her dress up over her head and tossed it to the floor. Naked but for a mis-matched brazier, panties, and nude stockings, she grabbed his hand from where it hung limply at his side and pressed it to her breast. "Go on!"

"Ellie." Dallas growled stiffly, growing angry with her again.

"I said it's fine, Dally." She insisted, staring him in the eye so he would know she was being truthful. "I... I don't want to fight again, not like we did last night. I don't want to see you walk out the door and not know if you're coming back. So if this means so much to you, if this will make you stay... then _okay_."

Ellie squeezed his hand over her breast and peppered kisses along his collarbone in an attempt to encourage him, but he only pushed her further back, wrenching out of her grip. She tripped, falling into a sitting position on the edge of his bed.

"I fucking can't! Not now!" He shouted as she stared wide-eyed and dazed at him.

She just didn't understand. This was what he wanted. This is what he had wanted all along. So what had changed so suddenly? What had happened between last night and now that had made her so unappealing to him? Ellie had tried so hard to keep her tears down, but now she could feel them budding at the corners of her eyes and choking up her throat. "Why not?"

"Because it feels like I'm forcing you, Ellie!" Dallas's voice rose as he went on, "It feels like- it's making me feel disgusting!"

She couldn't choke back her sob, suddenly frighteningly aware of her exposed body, covering her chest with her arms. "I'm disgusting?"

Dallas let out a wordless roar of fury and kicked one of the dresser drawers so hard the wood splintered and caved. He paced back and forth across the room, his hands in his hair, taking long breaths. Ellie watched him, helplessly trying to wipe her tears away before they could track down her face. After a while he seemed to regain control of his temper.

"Listen to me, you're not disgusting." Dallas promised, picking up her dress from the floor. Crouching in front of her, he flipped the material over so it wasn't inside-out and popped the collar over her head. Ellie reluctantly slipped her arms in as well and he pulled the fabric down over her chest, the skirt pooling at her lap. He left his hands on her hip, catching her eye. "Marry me."

Ellie let out another sob. Dallas cupped her cheek and she leaned into it, yearning for it's warm comfort.

"I _can't_."

"Why the fuck not?" He asked crudely, though there wasn't any anger left in his tone, only frustration.

"Because I feel like I'm forcing _you_."

Dallas stared at her, then sighed in defeat and fell back on his haunches. "Then what the hell are we gonna do?"

"I don't know." Ellie admitted, leaning forward to wrap her arms around his head and burrow her face in his neck. She took a deep breath, savoring his musky sent, praying to God that this wouldn't be the last time. "Please, Dally, just don't go on that trip. Please stay here."

He didn't reply.

* * *

**Jesus, these kids are stupid as heck. Sigh. Is this the beginning or the beginning of the end? Who knows? Actually, I do.**

**Sorry this chapter was short. There was supposed to be a bit of a diner scene but I had a hard time getting it written out and really wanted to update. Next chapter won't have so much to do with Ellie/Dallas but has some great gang moments. After that I'll dip back into this heavy stuff.**

**Thanks again for the reviews! Can't wait to hear what you guys think of the new chapter!**


	34. Family Tree

34.

Ponyboy slapped his cards against the coffee table and sighed, leaning back against the couch. "I don't get this stupid game. Did I win or didn't I?"

Ellie leaned over to examine his hand. "No... I think?"

Pony groaned and Johnny threw his cards onto the table as well, giving up. "Does anyone know the rules for this?"

"Soda taught me just last week," Ellie promised, frowning as she sorted through the whole deck. "It made sense before."

That weekend was gruesomely long, especially with the rainy weather. The three of them had been bumming around in the Curtis' livingroom since saturday, watching television or playing cards or occasionally practice-fighting (a game Ellie kept clear of). With Johnny off work for the next two days and his homework caught up, he'd been hoping the gang could celebrate, but everyone else was either caught at work or missing in action. Darry was picking up an extra shift, Two-Bit had been thrown in the drunk tank, Soda and Steve were working on a car they described as 'Little Bastard 2.0', and Dallas had been spending most of his time running around with Tim. His ring was sitting on Ellie's dresser at home.

"I'm sick of this." Pony muttered, standing up to stretch his long legs. The kid was growing like a weed and Johnny was envious. Sooner or later _he'd_ be the shortest in the gang.

"It's not like there's much else we can do." Ellie sighed, crawling up to the loveseat to sprawl herself against the cushions. She kicked off her kitten heels off the edge of the armchair and sighed again, staring up through the window on the wall above her. "It's stopped raining."

"It'll only start up again in a few minutes. I think I have a board game sitting around here somewhere." Pony picked around his house, opening drawers to corner tables and digging around in the closet in the hall. Johnny got up and followed him over, picking through old camping gear and boxes of old coats and baby things.

Johnny pushed aside a folded up cot to get to the things underneath. "We should go camping next summer. I've always wanted to go when you went out with your old man."

"You should have said so." Pony told him as he walked back towards the kitchen, emerging moment later with a chair. He propped it in front and crawled up to reach the shelf at the top of the closet. "We would have taken you with us."

Johnny smiled to himself. Of course they would have let him come. Steve had gone once or twice over the years, and so had Two-Bit. Dallas would have if he wasn't too busy pretending he didn't care. They were always welcome in the Curtis' family, no matter where they were or where they were going. But Johnny had never bothered to ask himself, despite stewing in jealousy and loneliness at least once a week every summer while they were gone. His father would never have allowed it.

"I've never been camping, either." Ellie commented dreamily from the couch. "What do you do out there, anyway? What's so fun about living in the woods?"

Something caught Pony's eye from the far back of the shelf. He pulled a long rectangular case, much like something a musician would put their instruments inside. Crawling down from the chair, he set the case down carefully on the seat and clicked open the latches. Over his shoulder, Johnny made out the distinct shape of a shotgun, broken up in two pieces.

"It's not so much about living in the woods," Pony finally answered, pulling out the handle and barrel and snapping them together with a _click_. He brought it around the corner into Ellie's view and aimed it at her with one eye shut and the other lined up against the gun. "As it is about hunting."

Ellie didn't let out a scream like they thought she would. She did, however, shoot up from the couch, her face souring quickly. "Ponyboy Curtis, if you don't put that thing down right this instant, I'll- I won't even have time to tell Darry because I'll have killed you with my own bare hands, do you hear me?"

"Relax, you baby. It's not even loaded." Pony lowered the weapon anyway, handing it over to Johnny as he got back up on the chair.

Ellie crossed the room and leaned over his shoulder -far out of the barrel's way- to examine it. "At least I feel less bad about making Darry hide those duffle bags now that I know you've got your own contraband."

Digging a little deeper, Pony handed them three more cases before crawling down from the chair. "They're just for hunting. I always wondered where my dad stored these. He could hide them better than he could hide our Christmas presents."

"Probably for the best." Johnny said, fiddling with the safety. "Imagine Dallas with a bad mood and one of these."

Ellie moaned and took a step back to drop on the arm of the couch. "God, don't say his name today."

"You two are still fighting?" Pony asked, raising an eyebrow. "What's wrong now?"

Johnny shook his head warningly. "Don't ask."

"Better yet," Ellie scoffed, "Go ask _Dallas_."

"He asked her to marry him." Johnny explained anyway, the dramatics of the situation getting the better of him. It was comical to think Ellie had somehow beaten Dallas down enough to get him to propose. It was so comical, in fact, that it was almost impossible to believe. Marriage was something they expected from Darry, or Soda, or even Steve. Not Dallas- not even when he had been with Sylvia. He never mentioned any intention to meet Ellie down the isle either; if anything, he seemed to have been totally opposed to the idea.

Ponyboy let out a howling laugh as soon as the words came from Johnny's mouth. He dropped one of the cases on the chair so he could lean against the wall, tears beginning to streak down his face.

"It's not funny!" Ellie scowled, wrenching the gun out of Johnny's arm to try and dismantle it so she could put it back in the case. "I don't know what to do!"

Pony made an attempt to retort, but he couldn't sober up long enough to form words.

"You wait until you get a girlfriend of your own, Ponyboy. I'm going to make your life a living hell."

"You don't have it in you." He dismissed, rubbing his cramped stomach through his t-shirt.

Johnny smiled at them as he took the gun from Ellie, pulling the two pieces apart with minimal struggle. His father used to have a shot gun. Johnny wasn't allowed to touch it, but there had been a few days when his parents were out long enough for him to goof around with it. Once in a while, during long, dark nights, he'd imagine himself pulling the rifle out from under his parent's bed, loading it up, and blasting his father's brains out while he slept. But nothing ever came of it besides emptying imaginary clips at lampshades.

When he looked up again, Pony was ignoring Ellie's long string of playful rebukes. She wasn't upset anymore, though she never seemed carry a temper for longer than five minutes. He even doubted that her anger towards Dallas was as strong as she made it out to be.

"Better start cleaning all this crap up. Darry's been nagging to keep this place tidy for our visit from the social worker. He nearly burst a vein freaking out about the dust on the coffee table last time." Pony got back up on the ladder to start shovelling back all the stuff they had pulled out.

"When is she coming?" Johnny asked.

"Not 'til tonight. I'm supposed to be cleanin' but this place is good enough, right?"

"It's not even ten thirty yet." Ellie sighed, grabbing things by her feet and tossing them past the youngest boy, launching them into the closet like someone would throw a basketball. "God, this has got to be the most boring day ever."

"We could..." Johnny sat on the couch and looked around for any inspiration. But there was nothing in the Curtis' living room except for the old worn out furniture and a television set.

"We could..." Pony mumbled in an uncertain tone, his hand on the last gun case. Johnny's gaze snapped to his, saw the silent suggestion in his eyes, and felt his interest pique. In unison, they turned to Ellie. She had finished tossing things into the closet and was walking up and down the short hallway, boredly running her hands along the wall and gazing at the few family photos they had hung up. It was only their sudden and lengthy silence that caught her attention again.

"What?" Ellie questioned, narrowing her eyes at the two boys.

Pony lifting up the case and they waited with baited breath for her reply.

She stared back at them. "You're going to have to be more specific because right now I think you're asking me if I want to around shooting people."

"Not people." Pony rolled his eyes, "We could go find some cans or something."

"We'll go out towards the country so the shots won't be heard. I bet nobody'll be out by the rodeo grounds this time of year."

Without speaking, Ellie went around the couch to slip her heels back on.

"You're okay with this?" Johnny asked tentatively.

Ellie shrugged. "I'm _very_ bored, and I don't really have a better idea. But if the police catch us, I'm telling them you're kidnapping me at gun-point."

They put the gun case and a pack of bullets they found in another box into one of Darry's old backpacks, then stuffed the empty space with t-shirts to keep it from rattling suspiciously. Ellie insisted they put the first-aid kit in there as well as a few sandwiches, jut in case. Then they herded out to catch the bus. They had to wait for half an hour for it to arrive, and another two minutes to persuade the driver to let them on with a few cents short.

"You look like you're running away." Ellie commented to Pony with an amused smile. He was sitting alone in front of them, sprawled lengthwise in the two-seated row while Ellie and Johnny sat behind. He looked odd with the fat backpack, going out to the country on a sunday afternoon.

They got off at a stop in front of a small farmer's market surrounded by corn fields. A mile or two of walking lead them far enough from any civilization to be heard, but not quite close enough to the rodeo grounds just a few miles further down the road. The gravel was wet and so was the field, but they found a small crop of trees that were semi-dry and kept them out of the misty drizzle falling down on them. Little chirps sounded around them, the only sign of life in the otherwise desolated area.

"It's freezing." Johnny commented, pulling his arms out of the sleeves of his pull-over sweater and wrapping them around his torso for warmth. While Pony set up the gun and loaded the barrel, Ellie climbed into the lowest branches of a nearby willow tree, settling in a dry crook with her side pressed against the trunk.

"_You _look like a wood nymph." Pony told her, a rebuttal from her 'runaway' joke an hour ago. In a pale, grey-green coat and untamed locks, she really could pass for a mythical creature of the forest, watching the boys up there on her little wood throne.

She giggled and played along by caressing the bark of the branch. "What do you plan on shooting, Pony? You forgot the cans."

"Squirrels, maybe." He shrugged, scanning the length of their little island of forest between fields. "Doubt there's much else around here."

"What will you do with them, after?"

Johnny sat down at the base of Ellie's tree. "We'll get you to skin 'em and cook up a stew."

"Over my dead body." She said, scrunching her face up in disgust.

As if he had spotted some unseen target through the trees, Pony lifted the gun to his shoulder and leveled the barrel into the bushes. A moment later he pulled the trigger and a deep _bang_ echoed throughout their little forest, louder than Johnny had expected it to be. Looking up into the willow, Ellie had her hands pressed over her mouth, her eyes bright and wide.

"Oh my gosh." She said in a muffled voice, catching his eye as she let out a string of nervous giggles.

Pony jogged into the brush and came back out clutching a squirrel's tail.

"Where's the rest of it?" Johnny asked, a little sickened at the sight. He could only imagine some poor creature somewhere on the forest floor, withering in pain and bleeding to death.

Pony shrugged, examining his trophy. "I donno. I thought I hit it pretty cleanly, but I guess I'm a little rusty. Haven't gone hunting since..."

_Since his parents died._ The unsaid words hung over their heads, heavier than the rain.

"That's so morbid." Ellie whined, pointing to the tail. "What the heck are you planning to do with that?"

"I'll make it into a necklace for you." Pony grinned, "It can be your christmas present."

"I'd puke."

Pony flung the tail at her and she screeched, nearly falling backwards out of tree to avoid it. Chuckling at her horrified expression, he was distracted while Johnny took the gun out of his hand. He brought the shotgun up, pressing his cheek against it's side and shutting one eye for aim. He scanned the woods in front of him carefully but couldn't find any critters to shoot.

"How'd you spot that squirrel?" He asked Pony, lowering the gun again.

"They chirp." The youngest explained, rifling through their pack for the sandwiches. "But my shot must have scared them off by now."

Johnny listened to the air and were there used to a distant chirp- what he had previously assumed to be birds- there was nothing but the wind whistling through the leaves. "What the hell am I supposed to hit, then?"

Pony shrugged. "Hell, even if this place was packed with squirrels, I doubt you'd even be able to hit one on your first try."

Johnny took a hand off the trigger to flip him the bird.

"Why don't we aim at something that isn't alive?" Ellie said, "Like a tree trunk?"

"Or rocks." Pony chewed on his sandwich thoughtfully. "We could find some rocks and lay it out on the branch Ellie's sittin' on; it's low enough."

As if she was scared they'd mistake her for a stone and gun her down, Ellie slid off her perch to the ground and brushed off the dirt from her stockings. "I want to do it as well."

"Do what?" Johnny asked absentmindedly, scanning the small clearing they were in for rocks large enough to be targets but not heavy enough for the bullets to ricochet.

"I want to shoot things."

All three of them spent a few minutes scouring the forest floor for rocks, a task that was harder than they thought it would be. The only ones they could find had to be dug up from deep underneath thick grass or gathered from the main road a few dozen meters away. It was lucky for them that the only cars driving by were from the old paper mill or tourists coming into Tulsa- one every hour, give or take.

Laying a handful of stones along the branch of the willow tree, they lined up along the trees opposite.

"You go first." Ellie told Johnny, cowering a little when Pony tried to hand her the shotgun.

Johnny lifted the gun up and pointed to the first rock farthest from the trunk, trying his best to level the barrel up to the target. Then, before he could over think, he pulled the trigger.

_Bang!_

He felt the butt of the shotgun slam against his shoulder hard, nearly toppling him backwards. Ellie grabbed his arm to steady him, squealing with nervous laughter.

"You missed." Pony noted smugly, the corners of his smile red with the jelly in his sandwich.

Ellie wagged her finger at him. "I bet you weren't such a good shot when you first started."

"Nope. I was always this amazing."

They rolled their eyes at him. After giving it to Pony to refill, Johnny brought the gun up and took a few more shots. Occasionally he'd manage to nick the wood of the branch, but by the time his shoulder was too sore to keep firing he hadn't hit a single rock.

"I want to try!" Ellie exclaimed as Johnny passed it back to Pony, who popped a couple more bullets into the chamber and then handed it to her. It looked heavier in her untrained arms and she struggled to hold it at her shoulder.

Here." Pony threw the other half of his sandwich at Johnny, who peeled back the rest of the wrapper and started to finish it off. The younger boy approached her from the side and held the gun up so that it was leveled. "Press your cheek against this side right there- good, now lift your arms up so that your elbows are stickin' out, just like this."

"I look weird." She complained as Pony manipulated her arms into the air. Ponyboy mumbled something to her, too low for Johnny to hear.

"What?" He asked, a little anxious at the sudden smile on Ellie's face. He took a step back, worried that they might point the loaded gun at him as a joke.

Pony put a hand on her back just below her neck and adjusted the aim of the barrel. "Now."

It took a second for Ellie to press the trigger hard enough. Her whole body jolted from both the force of the shot and her automatic response to cringe from the _bang!_ The only thing keeping her on her feet was Pony, who must have been in one of his rare good-moods because he was shaking with laughter once more.

Johnny stuffed the last bite of sandwich into his mouth and nearly choked when he turned his head to the target. Where one of the rocks used to sit was an inch of splintered and chipped wood. Sitting on the floor, half-hidden in grass and sporting a ashy white scar, was the stone.

"I hit it!" Ellie exclaimed, and Ponyboy had to quickly pry the gun out of her hands while she jumped up and down, just in case she shot her foot off. Squealing and hopping over to Johnny, she grabbed his shoulder and jabbed her finger excitedly at the branch. "Did you see? I hit it!"

"Pony helped you." He commented, a little bitter that the other boy hadn't given _him_ any pointers.

They played around for a bit longer, one bullet each before they passed it along to the next person. Once in a while a car would zip down the main road and they ducked down behind the trees and bushes to keep out of sight, waiting until the growl of the engines faded away. Then they'd get back up and resume the game. After a little while the excitement of a loaded rifle faded and they left most of the shooting to Ponyboy who had fun scaring off crows and squirrels.

Johnny and Ellie sat under the willow tree , cradled by a tangle of roots. He liked this place, he decided as they chewed on sandwiches. It was just a little island of trees in the country; a sliver of land between two big barley fields, unwanted and unused. Deep into autumn, the leaves had turned into a medley of vibrant colors over their heads, each one destined to join its companions on the forest floor. Only a few months later and they'd be covered in snow. That would be just as beautiful as autumn, Johnny thought, wondering if the three of them could come back to see it. He didn't see why not. Maybe this could be special- a place they could hide out when Pony was missing the forest and his father and Johnny wanted to see how the trees changed and Ellie wanted to be wild.

A hand fell over his.

"Are you alright?" Ellie asked quietly, trying to catch his eye.

Johnny smiled. Ponyboy was rubbing off on him if this was the kind of things filling his head these days. Fantasies and feelings. Maybe it was a good thing. Ever since the party he'd been feeling off. Why and how, he couldn't say. But something had happened that night- something dark, something he had done- that was weighing heavy in his chest.

Not today. Though nothing particularly cheerful had happened, both the gentle companionship of his friends and the odd magic of their little forest made him feel at ease, if only for that moment. It was easy to understand now why Pony yearned to live in the country. Perhaps one day all the gang could pitch in to buy a farm. It wasn't as if they had anything holding them in the city. They could buy chicken and cattle and horses, of course. Dallas and Soda would like that. They could even have a garage out there for Steve. But that was just another one of his fantasies. Eventually they'd go off to get married and have their own families and wouldn't have time to spare for him or his farm.

"It's stopped raining." He told Ellie, bumping shoulders. "Hey, we should live out here."

She smiled, amused by the thought. "Where? In a fort in the trees?"

"No, we could buy some land or something."

"With all the money we have saved up? What a plan."

Johnny shrugged. "Your dad's bound to get out of prison some time. Anyway, didn't he promise you a horse? He'll need a barn to put it in."

Ellie opened her mouth to retort, but suddenly her expression shifted. "We could live overtop the barn. Don't they have little lofts up there?"

"For the hay." He explained, glad she was playing along. "We can live around the hay- or use it as furniture. They'd make good beds and tables, I guess."

"Won't you miss the city?"

He shook his head. He was sick of the city. The city was all fast paced and confusing. He wanted to just relax now.

"There's no arcade in the country." Ellie told him, "No drive-ins, no movie theatres, no libraries, no drag races, no concerts, no cute girls."

"I'm sure there are cute girls out here too."

"Nope." Ellie shook her head, convinced. "Only creepy old farmers."

Okay, maybe the city had it's perks as well.

"Then we'll go when we're older." Johnny rebuttled, "When we don't do those things anymore."

"How old?"

"Thirty? Thirty five?"

Ellie made a face. "I'm not married by then?"

"Of course not." Johnny scoffed, a teasing tone in his voice, "You're going to spend the rest of your life in limbo with Dallas, rejecting his marriage offers and withholding sex until you're both dead."

Ellie reached for his arm and gave him a stinging pinch. "What about you then? Why aren't you married by then?"

"I sleep with Lillian Adams and she ruins all other girls for me."

"Lillian Adams?" She made a face. "'Head Cheerleader' Lillian Adams?"

"She's hot."

Ellie didn't look convinced. "She's not that hot."

"Pony!"

Pony kept his barrel trained on his new furry target, humming slightly to let them know he was listening.

"Is Lillian Adams hot?"

The youngest boy let out a lude chuckle. "Smokin'."

Johnny turned back to Ellie and raised his eyebrows as if to say 'See?'

"Well then why don't you marry _her_?" She asked, crossing her arms over her chest.

"She dies."

"From _what_?"

"I don't know! I can't predict the future, Ellie." Johnny let out a howl of laughter as Ellie punched him in the arm, so light he barely felt it. Maybe they 'aught to have taught her to fight instead of shoot.

Suddenly Pony lowered his shotgun and haunched down to the ground. He pointed a finger to the main road. "Truck coming."

Johnny popped his head up to see over the bushes. Even from so far away they could hear the sound of the truck's exhaust as it crept towards them, coughing and wheezing like an old beast on it's last legs. It came closer and they could see it was an old farming truck, built in the late thirties or forties, patches of dark green where rust hadn't started to eat away at the metal.

"Aint' that your old man's truck?" Pony asked, also with his neck craned to see better. "What's he doing around here?"

Johnny fell back into the dirt, wondering the same thing. He couldn't remember the last time that old tin-can had been fixed up enough to drive. It must have been an important errand if his father had found it necessary to get it working again. Maybe he had gone to the mill to look for a job. His mother's money must have begun to run out by now. She was paid below minimum wage and whatever she got went straight into his father's pocket, then to the bookie or the liquor store cash-register. Had it gotten worse since he left? Though it was hard to imagine that black hole of a house could get any worse. Johnny had spent months trying to harden his heart against those memories- those people- but he wasn't the least bit surprised when a tang of pity resonated in his chest. He wished at least his mother was redeemable; that he could say it was all his father's fault. He wished he could bring up some long forgotten memory in which his mother had chosen him above herself, but there was nothing.

The twang of pity turned into an all-too-familiar ache. He always thought that finally getting away from them would make things better, but his parent's talons had dug deeper than he could have ever imagined.

They watched the truck cough and sputter down the road until it was nothing but a dot on the horizon. Johnny didn't feel so at peace anymore. Their little forest's magic had waned in a single moment.

"Maybe we should head home." Ellie told them softly. Her hand had found his again without him noticing, her fingers wrapped around his palm. Johnny and Pony nodded in agreement, getting up to pack everything up. A few minutes later they were crossing the field to get back to the main road.

* * *

Spotting Darry's truck out front, the three of them rounded the house and went in through the back door, closer to Pony's bedroom and the closet they had found the rifle. If they had any luck, he'd be in the middle of his after-work nap and they'd be able to go through the house unspotted.

Johnny had the bag clutched to his chest to keep it from making any noise as they filed in, hunched down low in a futile attempt to be less noticeable. Soda saw them almost immediately from his perch on the couch, an ear splitting grin erupting on his face.

"Hey! Thank God you're home, I thought you were going to miss...?"

Pony waved his hands in front of him erratically, signalling his older brother to be quiet.

Soda's smile faltered, his brows furrowing in confusion. He asked in a whisper, "What are you up to now?"

"Where's Darry?"

"In there." Soda answered, nudging his head into the kitchen, "He's been wondering where you've been. Where _have_ you been?"

Ellie shrugged and smiled, the image of innocence. "Just wandering around, nothing exciting. Where have _you_ been?"

While she distracted Soda, Johnny tugged the closet door open, wincing as the hinges squeaked. He pulled the shotgun case out of the pack and Soda jumped from his seat, recognizing it immediately.

"What the hell!" He exclaimed, hurrying over to rip the case out of Johnny's clutches. "What the hell do you think you're doing?"

Pony grabbed his shoulder and shushed him loudly.

"Who are you talkin' to?" Darry's heavy footsteps could be heard crossing the kitchen. Panicking, Johnny threw the case into the closet. It hit the edge of the old fold-up cot and it sprung open, pulling out some boxes with it. The whole mess spilled out like an avalanche around Johnny's feet.

"Fuck." He moaned and Ellie inched towards the back door like she was going to run.

Darry walked up behind Soda, dressed in sweatpants and one of his father's old t-shirts. "What the hell's going on here?"

There was a moment of quiet as they all stared at each other, wondering what to say.

"Nothing." Pony finally answered, staring hard at his middle brother, silently begging him to keep quiet.

Soda's mouth was parted, confusion clouding his eyes. He ran a hand through his hair and shook his head. "They were sneaking in one of dad's shotguns."

Darry's face darkened. "You... what?"

"Thanks a lot, Soda." Ponyboy fell back against the wall in defeat.

"What the hell am I supposed to do, Ponyboy?" Soda snapped, "You were carrying around a goddamn loaded gun!"

"It's not as bad as it seems." Johnny cut in, though he was having a hard time looking either of the Curtis boys in the eye.

Darry didn't say anything immediately. He scanned the room, from Soda, to Johnny, to Pony, to Ellie, to the camping equipment sprawled along the floor and the rifle case leaning against the closet corner. His mouth fell open and then shut again as if he was trying to find the right words, pinched the bridge of his nose, leaned against the side of the couch as if they had sucked all the energy from his bones.

"What the fuck were you three doing with a loaded shotgun?" He spat.

Pony sighed. "Relax, Darry. We weren't going out to kill anyone."

"Don't even start with me, Ponyboy." Darry growled, his icy glare snapping to his youngest brother. "How the hell did you think this was a good idea? Did you think I'd be okay with this? Did you forget all those talks dad had with us about not touching the damn guns? They aren't toys, Ponyboy. You know this!"

Ellie crept up behind Johnny -using him as a shield-, and peered over his shoulder. "It's really not as bad as it sounds, Darry. We weren't just walking around the city with a gun."

"Yeah," Johnny nodded eagerly, "We went out into the country."

Darry's voice rose. "Johnny, you're nearly two years older than Pony! You should have known better than him and you went along with this shit?"

"Honestly, Darry." Ellie squeaked, "All we did was shoot at some rocks and a few squirrels- and the only one who actually hit anything was Pony! We were just playing around. We weren't hurting anyone."

Darry's glare turned to her, burning right through, and Johnny felt her clutch the back of his sweater. "How the hell were you even there? I might have expected this from these two idiots, but _you_? Seriously? You're... you're _Ellie_, for fuck's sake!"

"We were bored." Ellie mumbled tearfully.

"You could have been arrested!" Darry snapped loudly.

"Leave her alone." Soda spoke up for the first time in minutes, putting a hand on his older brother like he was trying to hold him back. They all knew Darry wasn't about to start beating on them, but that didn't mean it wasn't a bit nerve-wracking to see a one hundred ninety pound giant begin to shake with anger.

He shoved his brother's hand away. "No! Someone has to knock some sense into their heads! You three could have been arrested! Then where would you be? Two of you are practically runaways! And you, Ponyboy! You could have landed both you and your brother in a boy's home!"

"I bet you'd like that." Pony grumbled under his breath, not meaning for them to hear, yet the whole room fell into another silence.

Soda looked as if the whole world had just fallen apart around him. "Ponyboy... don't say things like that."

"No." Darry held his hand up. He wasn't glaring anymore, but the ice in his blue-green orbs was suddenly impenetrable. "Let him say what he wants. If you're so hell bent on going into foster-care, Pony, then go right ahead. We're getting a visit from the social worker this afternoon, and you can tell her all about it."

"Darry." Soda called in a reprimanding tone.

"No, Soda. He's old enough to make these decisions himself."

Johnny turned to look at Pony, who's face was ashen. He looked to be ashamed of himself- though all three of them must have had the same expression. Darry was right. They had been too consumed with their boredom to think of the consequences. It was pure luck that they hadn't been stopped by a cop- something that happened often when you looked the same as every other JD or hood. One glance into that backpack and they would have been sleeping the night in prison.

"We should go." Johnny suggested to Ellie quietly, grabbing her hand in his. He didn't realize until he turned around that she was about to cry.

"Please don't fight like this." She begged them, "We're really sorry, Darry! Really! Even Pony!"

That seemed to cut through the tension. Letting out a little pitiful scoff, Soda went forward and rubbed the tears from her eyes with his sweater sleeve before they could even fall. Pony sulked along the wall, guilty-faced. The doorbell rang and Darry hurried to answer it, relieved to get away from the girl he made cry.

"Hello," Came a voice, unfamiliarly female. No one besides Ellie or the occasional girlfriend -looking for one of the gang- ever stopped by, and most of them knew by now to just walk in. "I'm Ms. Royce, a Child Welfare Specialist from the Department of Human Services."

Johnny could see Darry tense. "We- uh, didn't expect you until tonight."

"Yes, well, I managed to get through most of my appointments fairly quickly today. Most of them were in this same area, actually."

"Uh..." Darry took a moment to fight past his shock. "Y-yeah... Okay, come in."

Soda, Johnny, and Ellie all exchanged panicked looks before swooping down to pick up all the gear at their feet, starting with the rifle case. They shoved it haphazardly into the closet, slammed the door to keep it all in, and then turned to look at the woman now standing in their living room. She was tall- almost as tall as Darry- and stick thin in a rather inexpensive suit. She looked more friendly than strict, much to their relief, though there was heavy bags under her eyes that suggested she had been having a difficult day. She gave them an amused smile at their sad attempt at cleaning up.

"The file said you had two minors under your care-" The woman began, glancing down at a few papers in her hand. "Two brothers?"

"We're just family friends." Ellie answered quickly, running her fingers under her eyes to wipe away the makeup that had smudged from her tears.

Ms. Royce nodded. "Well, if you don't mind, it's best if I have a private meeting with the family."

"We'll get out of your way." Johnny promised, grabbing Ellie's hand. He lead her down the hall and through the back door, then around the house until they were at the front yard. Then they crouched down low and crept up the porch, stopping just under the living room window.

Ellie leaned in so close he could almost feel her lips on his ear. If they spoke any louder than she smallest whisper, they'd be heard. "What the heck are we doing?"

"Snooping." Johnny explained in the same hushed tone, rolling his eyes. Wasn't it obvious?

They sat side by side, their backs against the siding, and listened. For a while their voices were too far away to make out, wavering in and out as if they were getting farther away, then closer. Johnny knew a little about social worker visits from a few times in elementary school when a teacher noticed his bruises,

"-Just the regular check-up to make sure everything's been going smoothly." The social worker was saying to them in a cheerful tone. "Your last visit was roughly three months ago, correct?"

No one answered, but it was safe to assume Darry had nodded. They heard the ruffle of cushions as they sat around in the living room.

"There seemed to be nothing of interest from the last report." She paused, "Hopefully everything is the same. Are you ready to begin?"

There was another silence and Johnny could almost picture all three of them bobbing their heads in unison.

"Right. I'll start off by speaking to you all as a family. Has there been any notable changes in daily life since the last visit?"

"No." Darry answered, before adding, "I took up an extra shift on saturdays."

"So... you now work six days a week?"

"Yeah."

"Okay..." Ms. Royce paused again, most likely jotting the new information down in the file. "Anything else? Any trouble- minor or significant? I see here that both you and Sodapop have a bit of a record, but you've been keeping clean since the boys were placed in your custody. Is that still true?"

"Sure thing!" Soda said, a smile in his voice. "We're good boys now. A bunch of squares, really."

Ms. Royce let out a light chuckle. No one could resist Sodapop's happy-go-lucky attitude. "That's good to hear. Now, I just need to talk to talk to you three individually and then I should be off. Why don't we start with you, Sodapop?"

"Tryin' to get me alone so quickly, Ms. Royce?" Soda joked as Pony and Darry's footsteps could be heard moving into the kitchen. Beside Johnny, Ellie scampered quietly to her hands and knees and crawled over to the other window to listen to the boys' conversation.

"So, how are you getting along with your brother?"

"Same as usual. I never have problems with either of them."

"I'd imagine it would hard to be mad at you." Ms. Royce commented, "Are you comfortable with seeing your brother as a parental figure or are you still adjusting?"

Soda paused thoughtfully before saying, "I don't know. I mean, I still just see him as my brother. He's always been in responsible for us, even when my parents were still alive."

Johnny never thought of it that way. He was so used to seeing their situation in Ponyboy's eyes that he never stopped to think of how Soda might feel. He was right, honestly. At home they always had their parents to take care of them, but out on the streets it was Darry was their leader. Maybe that's why it was easier for Soda to live under Darry's law. And maybe that's why it was so hard for Pony; he had still been a young kid- just a little tag-along when their parents died. At the time, his life had been more dictated by his parent's rule than his brother's.

"It says in the notes that you've decided to drop out of high school so you could work full time at a gas-station?"

"Yep."

"Was this something you chose to do, or felt obligated to?"

"No- I mean... We needed the money, sure, but I was just wasting my time in school anyway. I'm good at cars. Yeah, half the job is filling up tanks, but most of the time I'm working in the garage out back. Even if I graduated high school, I wouldn't wanna do anything but work at the DX anyway. I'm saving time and I'm helping Darry out at home."

Ms. Royce didn't reply right away, but Johnny could hear the faint scratch of pen against paper.

"That sounds logical, but I do recommend you go back to high school, Sodapop. There are many careers out there that fit your interests, but you'll never know if you don't have to the tools to discover them. If anything, I'd suggest you speak to your old shop teacher. He'd be a great resource."

Johnny could almost picture Soda's expression. He loved cars, but he didn't love his shop teacher. If anything, the man had hindered Soda's interested rather than nurtured it. No one ever got out of Will Rogers without having some sort of vendetta against that senile old fart, even if they never stepped inside his class.

"Sure." Soda choked out.

"Is there anything else you'd like to tell me? Are all your basics needs being met? Are you eating regularly? Do you have enough warm clothes for the coming winter?"

"I'm okay." Soda assured her with a chuckle. "You're a lot nicer than the lady who usually comes by, ya' know? And a lot prettier."

"Flattery doesn't sway my report, Mr. Curtis." Ms. Royce let out her own breathy laugh. "But it is nice to see that you're doing well. If you don't mind, could you please send your youngest brother in next?"

"Anything for you." Soda said as he stood. Johnny rolled his eyes again and pulled his legs out from underneath him to sit more comfortably on the deck. Turning his head to the left, he spotted Ellie peering over the edge of the kitchen window. Suddenly she ducked down, red-faced, and hurriedly wormed her way back to Johnny.

"What happened?" Johnny mouthed to her.

"Fighting." She mouthed back, her face bunched up in pain.

Ms. Royce's voice brought his attention back to the living room above them.

"Hello, Ponyboy. Please, sit down... Now, how are you feeling?"

"Fine." He answered meekly.

"That's good. It says here that your grades are rather exceptional- so much so that you moved up a year. You must be a very smart boy."

"I guess."

"Do you have any plans for college yet? Any career paths you're interested in?"

"Not really."

Ms. Royce laughed. She seemed more humored by Pony's clipped words than insulted. "That's alright, you still have years to decide. But I hope you're finding a good balance between school and free time. It's more than healthy for teenagers to have fun as well."

"Okay."

Ms. Royce paused again, likely writing. "Are you eating well? Sleeping well? Do you have enough clothes for the upcoming winter?"

"Uh... uh huh."

"Wonderful." Another pause. "I couldn't help but notice that you were having an argument earlier, before I knocked. I didn't mean to ease-drop, but it was hard not to. Do you mind telling me what that was about?"

"I don't know."

"Ponyboy," The woman sighed, "I can't help you unless you let me. Either way, I'll have to add the argument to the file. Wouldn't you like to have a say in what I put down?"

Ponyboy took a moment before answering. "It was stupid."

"It didn't seem so. That girl looked to be crying."

"Ellie? She cries about everything."

Beside Johnny, Ellie let out an abrupt scoff. He slapped a hand over her mouth and shushed her before turning back to the conversation. Pony had a habit of saying too much when he was angry; if he got Darry in trouble, even Johnny couldn't stand by him.

"Even so. It looked to be a very heated argument. What was it about?"

"Nothing. Darry was just being over-protective. He's always treatin' me like a three year old."

_Shut up, Pony! _Johnny thought with a wince.

"Do you often have a hard time living under your brother's rules?"

"I just wish he'd relax, that's all. He let's Soda get away with everything, but I so much as step a toe out of line and suddenly it's the apocalypse."

"Does it seem as if your brother might have anger issues?"

"I-no!" Pony objected, "It's just, can't you tell him to calm down? It's like you said- I'm a smart kid. I don't need him watching over me all the time."

"Okay... Is there anything else you'd like me to address with your brother? I may have overheard that you no longer wanted to live under his roof."

"It's not _his_ roof." Pony said without thinking, "I mean... I just... I didn't mean it."

Ms. Royce's pen scratched again paper once more. "I understand. Thank you for being honest with me, Ponyboy. Do you mind sending in Darrel?"

"That's it?" Ponyboy asked. "What did you write down just then?"

"I'm only allowed to give my review directly to the guardian. He'll be able to fill you in once the meeting is over." Ms. Royce still scribbling as Pony pushed off the couch.

Johnny felt a tug on his sweater sleeve. Ellie nodded her head to the side and started crawling back off the porch. Confused, Johnny followed her onto the yard, rounding the house again until they reached the window attached to Soda and Pony's bedroom. The blinds were closed, but they could hear footsteps pacing around the room. Standing fully, she tapped her fingernail against the glass.

Ponyboy's face popped up between the blinds and Ellie motioned for him to open the window.

"Boost me up." Ellie insisted to Johnny as Pony did as told. He bent down, weaving his fingers, palm up, and she placed her foot in the cradle, grabbing hold of the window ledge as he heaved her high enough to wiggle inside. He followed soon after, without help and a lot more gracefully.

"I said a lot of stupid crap, Johnny." Ponyboy admitted, nibbling his nails as he paced back and forth across the dresser.

Ellie grabbed his hand and helped Pony over to the bed, sitting down with him. "We know, we were listening in. It wasn't that really all that bad."

Johnny sat down on the other side of his friend, passing him a cigarette carton. He tried to think of something to say, something reassuring, but nothing came to mind.

"She seemed real nice." Ellie went on, looking over Pony's hung head to glare at Johnny as if she was telling him '_Help me!'_

With shaky hands, Ponyboy pulled out a cigarette and stuck it in his mouth. He sat there without lighting it, staring unfocused at the floor, and eventually johnny couldn't take it any longer.

He dug out his lighter and brought it to the tip of Ponyboy's cigarette. "Cheer up, Pony. Darry's talking to her right now. I bet he'll set everything straight."

"Yeah right." Pony moaned, "I bet he can't wait 'til I'm gone."

Ellie ran her hand down his back over and over again, petting him. Her heartbroken expression matched Pony's. "That's not true. He'd miss you, Pony."

"He'd miss Soda. He'd have a party if I left."

"I don't know why you think he hates you so much." She sighed, "My brother and I get along like cats and dogs, but that doesn't mean he doesn't love me. You've got to love each other; there's no other choice."

"Yeah, well, your brother wasn't forced to take care of you." Pony dipped down lower, leaning his forearms against his thigh. When he spoke, his voice was soft and tearful. "Why'd they have to die? There wasn't any damn reason."

Johnny felt that heavy ache in his chest as Ellie rested her cheek against Pony's shoulder blade, her hand turning in gentle circles.

"I don't think there'll ever be a good enough reason for the bad things that happen in life, Pony." Johnny struggled to say, fighting his own emotions. He missed Pony's parents as well, though he couldn't even begin to compare his feelings to their son's. But it still hurt. In a lot of ways, they were the only parents some of the gang would ever know. When they got exciting news, or made high grades, or needed advice, a shoulder to cry on, it was to Mr. and Mrs. Curtis that they turned to. They were a safe-haven, a security blanket when everything in their lives seemed to be untamed and unpredictable. Johnny missed that the most. He missed the days when he didn't feel so lost- so alone in such a huge world.

The bedroom door opened and Johnny turned around expecting to see Darry in the doorway. Instead it was Ms. Royce.

"Oh!" She exclaimed, placing a hand over her chest, "I'm sorry, I thought this was the bathroom- hadn't you two gone?"

Ponyboy jumped up from the bed, turning to face the social worker with a burning red eyes and tear-streaked face. "Don't send me away to a boy's home!"

"I-I..." She stuttered, shocked, then covered her mouth and began to nervously laugh.

"What?" Ponyboy growled, rubbing his nose with his sleeve furiously.

Ms. Royce let out a little cough to stop herself from laughing. "What makes you think I'm taking you away?"

"Because you were scribbling a lot of things in our file and I said all those things-"

"Oh, honey." Ms. Royce couldn't help but chuckle. She took a few steps further into the bedroom, sitting on the other side of the bed and patting Pony's original seat. "Sit down."

Pony complied, but he had suddenly lost the courage to look her directly in the eye. Instead he stared sullenly at Ellie's hand where it sat on the mattress, clutching his.

The older woman sighed. "I just came from a house where five little children were living alone with their single mother. They didn't have enough money to get their hot water tank fixed and all they had to eat were hotdogs and eggs. But she had a job, her children weren't totally starved, and there weren't any bruises on them either. So I told her to have a nice day and left. Before that house- well, I'd rather not even re-live that."

Pony sniffed. "So..."

"The point is," Ms. Royce sighed, "Is that we have _enough_ children in foster care. Children who have really, truly suffered. So unless you're brother is beating you half to death or you haven't eaten in four days or he locks you up in the basement, you'll be staying here whether or not you like it. And from what I can tell, none of those things are happening. In fact, your brother is probably one of the best guardians I've visited in a while. There are some adjustment problems, sure, but he's trying, and that's more than I can say for a lot of other families I've seen. Oh! But don't tell him that. It's best if he's kept on his toes, so to speak. And don't tell your regular social worker either- I think I've just broke some rules."

Pony didn't say anything in response. He didn't even lift his head.

Johnny cleared his throat. "The bathroom's a door to the left."

Ms. Royce looked over to him, startled. "Right! Thank you!"

She got off the bed, gave them a gentle smile, and disappeared into the hallway.

"I'm going as well." Ellie kissed Pony's hair, took a deep breath, and stood up.

Johnny watched her round the bed as she headed to the door. "Where?"

"Going to find Dallas." She explained without stopping. "If he so much as thinks about going on that trip with his asshole of father, I'm going to have to kill him."

Ponyboy looked up, ruddy-cheeked but not longer crying. "Did you just _swear_?"

* * *

**Ey yo! I know half of you are kinda mad cuz there was literally no Dallas in this... Sorry!**

**I really really wanted to do a Johnny POV chapter and also write a bit of Johnny/Ellie/Pony friendship dynamic. But then also touch on Pony and Johnny's struggle with their families. I wish I could do more justice with Darry's character, but he's probably the hardest to write about for me. Him and Steve.**

**Thanks so much for the reviews for last chapter! There was a hell of a lot of love there! I'm honestly so glad to see you guys enjoy reading this (probably even more than I enjoy writing it!). You guys have an uncanny knack for picking all the parts I thought you wouldn't notice or I feel insecure about and let me know how much you loved it! I have no words to how much I appreciate that kind of feedback!  
**

**On another note: Sorry DestinyCopley13, I don't really write lemons for the sake of writing lemons. And I don't think I could write one for Johnny either. He's like everyone's sad-puppy brother. Appreciated your review, though!**

**Anywayyy! Next chapter has tons of Dallas/Ellie gushy stuff, so stay tuned!**


	35. For Reasons Unknown

35.

As he rounded the house, Dallas tugged his shirt off and used it to mop his face and neck. He was covered in dirt, stuck wet to his skin by dripping sweat. Despite the bristling cold winds blowing through Tulsa, he was burning hot.

"What have you been up to?"

Dallas choked down a shout of surprise. He'd been too caught up in his head to notice Ellie sitting on the steps, pressed tight into the corner with her shoulder against the railing. He could tell from the goosebumps prickling her legs that she felt the weather more than he did.

"Cleaning up out back. Why the hell are you wearin' a dress?" Dallas passing her as he climbed the steps. She got up and followed him through the main room into the kitchen.

"I don't like pants." Ellie explained with a shrug, hovering by the counter while he went to the sink. "It makes my hips look huge."

Dallas twisted the tap and cupped his hand under the stream of cold water. He scrubbed the dirt off his face, then splashed some on his neck and through his hair to cool down. Finally he dipped his mouth down to the flow and took a few deep chugs.

"What'da ya' want? I'm busy." Dallas asked her, grabbing a dish-towel from the counter to dry himself. He gazed out through the kitchen window, scanning the front lot. When he turned back around, Ellie was fiercely examining the dingy tile floor under her feet, the fingers of one hand fiddling with the splintered wood on the edge of a cupboard door.

"I haven't seen you in a _week_." She whined.

Dallas sighed. He was in a bad mood. Ruby was still sick and getting worse, Slash and his father wouldn't leave him alone, and he and Tim had been at each other's throats for days. The last thing he needed was a visit from his indecisive girlfriend- were they even dating anymore? That was another problem to add to his growing list.

Still, it made him uneasy to watch her so crestfallen.

"Come here." Dallas gestured, leaning up against the counter. Ellie took three short steps towards him, still refusing to meet his gaze. When she was close enough, he cupped the back of her head and brought it to his chest. Instinctively, her arms slipped around him in a loose hug. She sniffed wetly and he sighed again. "What the hell are you cryin' about?"

"I'm not crying." Ellie mumbled spitefully, then changed her mind and replied, "You're a big jerk, Dallas."

"It's not my fault you're so sensitive." He retorted, brushing through her silky hair. "If I'm such a bastard, how come you can't last a week without seeing me?"

Ellie turned her head to finally look up at him, jabbing her chin hard into his chest. Her eyes weren't full of tears; instead they were filled with stubborn indignation. "Are you saying you haven't missed _me_?"

"Hardly." Dallas snorted, but when Ellie huffed and tried to disentangle, he grabbed her by the waist and twisted them around so that she was pinned against the counter. Propping a hand against the surface with his wrist against her hip and another threaded through her hair, he burrowed into her neck and gave her a softly biting kiss. He hadn't missed her while she was gone, but now that she was right in front of him he couldn't seem to let her go.

Ellie let out a breathy laugh. "Yeah right. I bet you cried over me every night."

"Dallas Winston doesn't cry." He nipped her neck a little harder and earned a squeal. Encouraged, he moved up and pressed his lips against her lips. Ellie responded eagerly, tugged him closer, and before long he was coaxing her mouth open to deepen their kiss. Her fingers scratched at the nape of his neck _just so, _and immediately the heat began to pool in his lower abdomen.

Dallas pulled away, fighting to ignore her whimper of disappointment. "You're killing me, you goddamn tease."

"Tease?" Ellie leaned up and kissed the junction between his jaw and neck, her tongue slipping out for just a moment to taste his skin and send a bolt of pleasure down his spine. "You're the one that started this."

"I'm about to finish it, too." Dallas threatened, pushing off the counter to stand at his full height. Ellie's face was flushed, her chest rising and falling rapidly. He felt selfishly happy seeing that she was just as torn as he was. Cupping her chin, he used his thumb to swipe the corner of her mouth. "You better go. My old man'll be here in a few minutes and I don't want to face him with a hard-on."

Ellie's face twisted in disgust. "Dallas, you're not really going with him, right?"

Dallas shrugged.

"You don't even like your dad!" She said, following him out of the kitchen and back into the main room.

"Seriously," He told her, going around the bar to find himself a beer. "Scram. I don't want you around here when he comes by."

Ellie sat down on one of the bar stools. "No."

"No?" Dallas snorted, eyeing her as he popped the cap off and took a sip.

"No." She repeated adamantly, "Dallas, I don't want you to go. What you're doing is illegal, not to mention your father is an even bigger jerk than you are. Why are you wasting your time with this?"

Because he was broke and he needed to get Ruby a visit from the vet. There wasn't enough money coming from working for Slash-J, especially with the races so far and few inbetween during the colder months. He'd been trying to get some extra cash doing odd jobs with the Shepard gang, but this was the only worthwhile option he had that didn't involve a five month stint in juvi.

"Just stay out of it." Dallas warned, wondering how angry she'd be if he tried to pick her up and carried her to the bus stop. Time was closing in on him; his father and Slash would be here in minutes and he wanted Ellie _gone_. She had a bad habit of finding courage to speak at the worst times and the last thing he needed was a broad thinking he needed her to stick up for him.

Ellie sighed, as if she would rather be anywhere but there. "I can't- or won't. Whatever you prefer. I'm not leaving until we agree you're not going."

"What do you think you could possibly do to change my mind?" Dallas asked, caught in between amusement and annoyance.

"I could always set something on fire." She retorted, "That seems to work just fine for you."

Dallas took another sip of his beer. It was disgustingly lukewarm. "When I get back, I'll buy you a new car. Nicer than before."

"I don't want a stupid new car. I want you here, with me." She reached across the bar and placed her hand gently over his. A coy smile curled at her mouth as fingers tickled his wrist.

"Are you trying to seduce me?" He snorted. "Making out isn't going to convince me to stay."

Her smile fell from her face as she retracted. "I'm not trying to seduce you. Trust me, if I was, you'd already be swearing to never leave my side again."

"Bullshit." Dally chuckled.

Ellie stuck up her nose. "Oh really? Why do you think we're together in the first place? I've got a certain charm to me."

He did have to give her that. She was some kind of siren to make him chase her around like some horny, love-sick mutt.

"Yeah, I wanted to ruin the virgin." Dallas took another sip, "Look where that got me. Two marriage rejections and a bad case of blue-balls."

An odd expression donned Ellie's face, and for a moment he wondered if he'd gone too far.

"Maybe that's our problem right there." She said in a quiet, even tone. "All you ever think about is sex."

"It's hard not to when you haven't had any in fucking months. People in relationships have sex, Ellie. It's not that big a thing to ask for." Dallas caught her opening her mouth to retort and swiftly cut her off. "But you wanted to get married, do the whole damn ceremony, the priest, make it all holy and sacred in God's eyes. Fine. I caved. Now you don't want that either. So why don't you come back when you've made up your damn mind."

Ellie glared up at him. "If I say yes, then who do you think will marry two teenagers? Even if we do manage it, what happens after, huh? Are we moving in together? Are you going to support me? What if I get knocked up? What if you _leave_?"

Red hot anger surged through him, in his chest, in his head, from every cell of his skin to the very marrow of his bones. "Fuck you. Is that why you won't marry me? Because you think I'm going to split when I'm done? _Fuck you_!"

"Is that so hard to imagine?" Ellie cried, standing up on the foot rest of the bar stool, leaning over the counter as if somehow being closer to him would hammer her words deeper into his mind. "Aren't you doing it now? Aren't you running away now, just when things started to get difficult? You want to leave, fine! But don't insult me by pretending you _have_ to go- that you have no other choice! You'd rather spend a month with the father that abandoned you than even try to fix things with me!"

"Fix things? I asked you to fucking marry me! I don't know what else you want!" Dallas could feel the last threads of control snapping. He wanted to punch her. He wanted to punch her so badly in her stuck-up, Soc face. He'd never be good enough for her. That was the truth. That was the real problem- the real solution. Nothing he could do would ever prove his worth. He was a street rat and she was the shining ruby of some high-end gangster. They were wasting their fucking time.

Dallas took his beer bottle and threw it across the room, listening for for the shatter of glass against wall. Even that didn't satisfy him.

Ellie didn't have a reply this time. He could only imagine what her expression looked like. He stood there for a moment with his eyes squeezed shut, his back facing her, trying to fight the red out of his vision.

Suddenly he felt her hand against his forearm, cool against his burning skin.

"Dally," Ellie said in such a frightened whisper. "Please, I'm sorry. Just calm down."

Dallas forced himself to brush her off. "You better leave."

She didn't make another attempt to touch him; instead she shifted to stand in front, trying to catch his gaze. "I want you to sleep in my bed tonight, Dally. Promise me you'll come visit me tonight."

_Promise me you'll stay_, is what she really meant. But he couldn't promise that.

"Stay the hell away from Tim while I'm gone." Dallas told her instead. "And that motherfucking football player too."

"Dal-"

He grabbed her arm and pulled her to the door, refusing to humor her as she struggled weakly to get out of his grip. "You don't belong in this part of my life, get it? You don't get a say in what I do or don't do outside of our fucking relationship." He shoved the door open and pushed her out onto the porch. "_So scram_!"

* * *

Johnny was chewing his way through a bag of _Lays_ in front of the television when someone burst in through the front door.

"Els?"

"Yep!" He could hear her kicking off her shoes in the entryway, then the light pitter-patter of footsteps up the staircase. Johnny frowned to himself as he turned back to the show. He couldn't gauge from her tone of voice whether she was happy or upset, but judging from her previous visits with Dallas, he had cause to be worried. But he didn't have to wait very long for an answer. The _Flintstones _re-run he was half-watching began to roll it's credits when Ellie came stomping quickly but purposefully back down the stairs. She marched straight towards the couch, changed from her day clothes into loose-fit pajamas, and fell onto the seat beside him with her legs tucked underneath her.

She grabbed his hand and pressed something small and hard into his palm. "Give him this when you see him, will you? I suppose it won't be for a few months from now, but I can't bare to see it sitting on my dresser every day."

Johnny rolled the ring to pinch it between his fingers. He moaned loudly and tried to hand it back to her but she shrunk away as if it was fire.

"No way in hell I'm going to play messenger for you!" He exclaimed, "God knows what he'll do to me!"

Ellie wrapped herself around the armrest of the couch, scowling over her shoulder. "He won't do anything to you! Johnny, just do it!"

Johnny tossed it at her and it fell somewhere in her lap. "You do it!"

"_You_ do it!" She cried, throwing it back. It skidded over him and onto the cushion. He picked it up, meaning to return it to her again, but when he caught the look on her face he faltered.

"Please, Johnny?" Ellie pleaded, her brows furrowed, eyes dark and downcast. "I'm so mad at him for going, but if I see him again after all that time, I know I won't be able to...Please Johnnycake? Please?"

He groaned again, but tucked the ring into his pocket regardless. "Fine, you spoiled brat. Does anyone ever say 'no' to you?"

"More so lately." She admitted, relaxing against the couch. "It's not like I'm asking for the _world_."

Johnny noticed the darkness of the room and stretched to flip on the lamp on the stand beside them. "I take it Dallas decided to go on the run with his old man?"

"If he thinks I'll just wait around here while he runs around the country," Ellie brought her legs out from underneath her and pulled them to her stomach. "Getting into all sorts of trouble... And he wonders why I won't _marry_ him!"

He could understand why Ellie felt so strongly about Dallas leaving. She had sacrificed a lot to stay in Tulsa, and though Johnny knew a large part of it was because she wanted to be here, but an even larger part of it was because Dallas forced her to stay. She had accepted that fate more willingly than imagined, even after Dallas himself had disappeared all summer. All the trouble they went through to be together, it seemed idiotic to run away now just when things were beginning to boil down.

That _was_ what he was doing after all: running away. The town saw Dallas as something cold, raw- a wild beast incapable of comprehending anything but his own survival. But he wasn't. He felt loss, anger, hurt. Even love. Johnny knew Dallas Winston enough to know when he was truly scared of one thing- his own humanity.

He was scared of _Ellie_. But he wanted her too.

The bastard deserved it, Johnny thought as he swallowed a smile.

"And for what?" Ellie went on, her eyes fixed on the television. "He says he needs the money, but he already works every day and he goes on little stints with Tim. That's bad enough, but at least I know where he is by the end of the night. What am I supposed to do now? Be sick with worry for months on end 'cause I don't know if he got caught, or hurt, or if he's _dead_?"

"That's Dallas for you." Johnny sighed, debating whether or not he should get up for a soda. He didn't bother to point out that breaking it off with Dallas wouldn't make her worry any less.

"I _know_." She insisted, "And I don't expect him to change, I just... I'm so worried about him."

Johnny had to admit he was too. But Dallas wasn't an idiot. If he decided, despite everything, to go on the run with his father, then it must be worth the trouble. "Don't sweat it, Els. He's gonna come home in a few weeks, no worse for wear, and Darry'll give him a long chewing out for all of us."

Ellie seemed to chew on his response for a moment. Then her jaw set. "Whatever. It's- it's not my problem anymore!"

Snorting, Johnny passed her the _Lays_ and they sprawled out on the couch to pass the late afternoon watching cartoons. They were all reruns, and eventually they got bored enough to make plans for the movie theatre. But neither of them made an effort to stand, not even when the shows changed for the worse and they were stuck watching ancient _Doctor Who _episodes. What was supposed to be a lazy day had become dramatic beyond belief and there was nothing more satisfying than stuffing their faces and numbing their brains with trash T.V.

"Do you want a coke?" Ellie asked after a while, patting her salt-bloated tummy.

Johnny stretched his feet out in the seat as she stood. "I thought you'd never ask."

"Lazy." She teased as she slipped into the hall. He could hear her crawl back up the stairs, presumably to visit the washroom before getting their drinks. Johnny dropped his head down on the sofa, using his arm as a cushion. A yawn escaped his mouth as he glanced wearily at the clock on the wall- it was nearly eleven and they had school tomorrow.

An engine revved loudly from outside on the street. There must be a race nearby, though Johnny couldn't fathom why they'd choose the twisting turns of the suburbs over the flat, straight roads farther out. The growl of someone's muscle car grew louder and louder until it seemed to be right in front of the house, then a squeal of tires screeched through the sleepy little neighborhood. From the yard, Lord and Lady howled and yipped, then was abruptly silenced. Johnny shifted up onto his elbows, dropping one leg off the couch as the floorboards on the porch moaned under the weight of footsteps. He dipped his hand into his jean pocket, feeling the hilt of his switchblade against his fingertips. No one ever came to a house so late at night unless they planned robbing them blind.

The door fell open, banging against the hallway. Johnny jumped from the couch, pulling the blade out to be ready. Someone stumbled on the rug by the door, rattling the picture frames on the walls.

Dallas rounded the corner, his head pressed heavily against the door frame. "Jesus, Johnny. You gonna skewer me?"

"You gave me a heart attack." He sighed, pocketing the knife and crashing back into the couch. "What the hell are you doing here? If you think Ellie wants to see you before you run off, you're in for a surprise."

Dallas shrugged, stepping slowly into the room to sit on the arm of the couch, twisting so that he could gaze uninterestedly at the television screen. "I didn't go."

"Oh?" Johnny tried to control the surprise in his voice. "What happened with your father?"

"Oh, you know..." Dallas shrugged. "I told him to fuck off."

"Really?"

He laughed and his throat sounded rougher than usual. From his jacket pocket he pulled out a flask and took a deep drink before offering it to Johnny.

He shook his head. "What happened really?"

"Went to Tim's. Figured there were only so many places he would think to look for me." Dallas took another sip, smaller this time. "He 'aught to be leaving town right about now. Anyway, figured I'd get ripped while I hide."

"I can see that." Johnny mumbled, examining his friend. It wasn't rare to see Dallas drinking, but it _was_ rare to see him get this bad. Yet he wasn't surprised. He knew more than anyone what kind of influence family could have on a person. Though Dallas was as stubborn as a bull, there was always that old, irrational guilt and fear that came alongside disobeying someone who had been in control of you for so long. Old habits died hard, after all.

"She pissed?" Dally asked, tucking the flask back into his jacket.

Johnny snorted, pulling out the ring from his pocket and tossing it at his friend. "Don't keep your hopes up. She seems real set on dumping your sorry ass this time around."

"Fuck." Dallas mumbled, more to himself that anything. He examined his ring for a moment before sliding it onto his finger. "She's so damn dramatic."

"_I'm_ dramatic?" Ellie asked as she came into the living room, her arms crossed over her chest. "Say's the guy who literally tossed me out of his house after yelling at me."

Johnny pushed off from the couch almost immediately after. "I'm going to bed."

He made the short trip to the back door and whistled for the dogs, who came trotting one by one into the house. Lord curled up in his usual place by the radiator while Lady followed at his heel across the room.

Dally had a sly grin stretched across his mouth as Johnny passed him, his eyes glassy from the booze. "Goodnight, Johnnycake."

"Watch yourself, punk." Johnny teased, "Lord is stayin' down here, and at this point I don't think she's above sicking him on you."

* * *

Ellie tried to catch Johnny's eye as he headed up the stairs, begging him not to leave her alone with Dallas, but he seemed to be purposely avoiding her gaze. Some friend he was.

"What are you doing here?" She asked curtly, keeping as much room between them as possible while she rounded the back of the couch, tucking herself tightly against the farthest armrest as she sat down.

Dallas turned on his perch to look at her properly. "Decided to stick around. Tim offered me a better job."

There was a casualty in his voice that bit at her pride. Did he think this was all a joke? That she'd be jumping into his arms just because he had decided to '_stick around_'? It was more than that now. It was his stubbornness. It was his temper. It was the way he seemed to think he could do whatever he liked and that she'd just have to deal with it.

"Is that supposed to make me happy?" Ellie retorted. "Go, stay, I don't care anymore."

Dallas slid down from his perch, moving down the couch to close the distance between them. One arm went to rest behind her head, his other to her grip her thigh just above the knee. Ellie swallowed hard, staring furiously at the television screen and refusing to look at him.

"You try'na break it off with me?" He chuckled, and his breath smelt strongly of whiskey.

Ellie grabbed his hand and tried to pry it off of her. "Move over! You stink, you stupid drunk!"

"Don't be like that." Dallas tried to persuade, dropping his head down onto her shoulder. "I'm not that sauced."

She didn't bother to respond, knowing full well that nothing she could say would get him to leave. Instead she gave up, crossing her arms over her chest protectively as she tried to concentrate on the late-night news.

"Els..." He pressed a kiss to her collarbone, his warm breath spreading across the whole of her chest.

"Stop it!" She tried to wiggle away. "What do you want from me? Why are you _here_, Dallas?"

"You told me to come over tonight." He explained finally, his drunkenness cheerfulness fading as he sobered. "So I did, alright? Don't say I never listen to ya'."

Ellie felt him retract slightly, and for a moment she thought he was going to get up and leave. She tensed, clutching her hands into fists to stop herself from reaching for him. A breath of relief escaped her as he dug around in his jacket instead, pulling out a flask. He took a sip, his gaze now fixed on the television. "I was a bastard earlier. I just didn't want you around my father, alright? It's bad enough that I have to deal with him."

"You're _always_ a bastard. And you _don't_ have to deal with your father. That was my point."

Dallas shrugged. "Not that easy."

"It is that easy." She shook her head, "I'm finding it hard to believe someone who lives for pissing everyone off would feel any obligation to the one man who deserves it the least."

"You have an awfully strong opinion about a man you hardly know." He growled, taking another drink. "What the fuck do you know about my old man, huh?"

Ellie ripped the flask out of his hand. The liquid sloshed dangerously in the container and splashed both of them with miniscule dots of whiskey. "I'd know more if you'd bother to tell me anything about your life! Every time I ask you a question, you shrug me off." She screwed on the cap and tossed it over them to the far side of the couch. "You wanna' get married, but I don't even know who I'm getting married to!"

"What the hell do you want to know?" Dallas snapped, loud enough to catch Lord's attention. The rottweiler didn't growl but stood from his bed and trotted up to Ellie, staring at him over her lap.

Ellie gave the dog a reassuring scratch before turning back to Dally. "Everything." She stated matter-of-factly.

Dallas caught her eye head on, his ice-laden gaze slicing into her like a knife. Ellie locked her jaw and glared back, feeling Lord shift anxiously under her hand. She knew he wouldn't tell her anything, long before he said it. The impregnable look on his face- always on his face- told her enough.

Ellie shook her head, tired and disappointed. "I'm going to bed." She stood, gesturing for Lord to walk ahead of her. At the threshold of the door she turned back to him. "I might not know much, Dallas, but I know you're dad must have been a real horrible person to raise someone so messed up he can't even tell his girlfriend when his birthday is."

* * *

Dallas crossed the darkened street, passing under a single flickering street light before he got to the other side. flipping open the latch connected to the fence around the Curtis' house, he crawled lazy and drunk across the yard and up the porch. The kitchen light was on when he got inside. He found Darry at the table, reading one of Pony's essays.

Dally sat down opposite of him and sighed.

"He's such a damn smart kid." Darry grumbled without looking up. "I didn't write half as well as he did at that age. I don't know how the hell I'm supposed to proof-read this."

Dally took his flask out and took another drink of whiskey. It was almost empty now. "I fucking hate broads."

Darry picked up a red pen from the table and scribbled something brief on the page. "What're you arguing about now?"

"The hell do I know?" Dally growled, "She's pissed at everything. I tell her I'm goin' away on the job with my old man and she's angry. So I stick around, and she's still angry! But that's not the end of it, either. She doesn't want to put out, so I offered to marry her-"

This caught Darry's attention. He tore his gaze from the paper. "What?"

"It's not a big deal. She gets to keep her reputation or whatever, and I get laid."

The oldest Curtis boy leaned back in his chair. He was wearing the same expression Tim had worn when Dally had told him- as if he couldn't quite wrap his head around the concept. "What did she say?"

"No." Dally grumbled, "She was sayin' something about- I don't even know, honestly. Apparently asking a broad to marry you can be insulting, 'cause she's been fighting with me ever since."

Darry's whole body shook with silent laughter. "You poor bastard."

"Keep it up, caveman." The younger boy pulled out a cigarette carton and lit one up. Darry's smile shifted from humored to disgruntled at the nickname and Dally wondered briefly if a brawl would make him feel better. Not likely, judging how their fights usually ended in his near hospitalization. "I know for a fact you haven't gotten laid longer than I have."

"I'm sorry." Darry said, not sounding particularly apologetic, "I just never thought this would ever happen to you."

He got up and went to the fridge. He pulled out a cold beer and popped off the top against the counter. Dallas lifted his flask as a cheers and they both took a sip of their respective drinks.

"I can't believe you want to marry her." Darry sighed, unable to hide his incredulity.

Dally took a long drag from his cigarette. "I don't- not really...Well, I _didn't_. I figured just asking would be enough to her into bed."

"So what changed?"

"I dunno'." Dallas shrugged. It wasn't as if he wanted to jump right into a lifetime of commitment with a broad he could hardly keep from strangling. But the more he thought about it the less repulsed he felt. Why not marry her? It wasn't as if he was going to get anything better. She was a decent cook, she kept the house clean, and she wasn't ugly.

Darry settled back down in his seat. He was still amused, but it was subdued as he realized how seriously Dally was taking their conversation. "Do you love her?"

His stomach flipped at the very word. _Love, love, love_\- why was everyone always asking him that? What the hell did love have to do with anything? He loved his gang, he loved liquor, he loved Ruby and muscle cars and big bloody rumbles. That's what love was for; he didn't have any left to spare for women.

"You poor, poor bastard." Darry snorted. "You can't even admit it, can you?"

"It's bullshit." Dally finally replied, "Love is utter _bullshit_. Look around, where the fuck has love gotten us? Everyone's parents hate each other and babies are gettin' ditched every single day. Even Soda's girl cheated, and he's got so much fuckin' love in him he could blow up."

Darry nodded. "That's true, I guess."

"Thanks, Darry." Dallas sighed, finishing off his flask. "Real damn encouraging."

"What do you want me to say? You never listen to me anyway."

"Something that won't make me want to put a gun to my head." Dally stumped his cigarette and reached for another one. He couldn't tell if he was sober or just having the worst buzz in the world.

"Stop being an idiot, then." Darry passed the half-empty beer to Dally and stood, stretching. "Better yet, stop being a coward."

Darry squeezed his shoulder good naturedly as he passed, making his way to the bedroom. Dally glanced up at the clock; it was nearly one in the morning. Despite how tired he found himself, the Curtis' couch didn't beckon him as much when he knew there was a toasty warm bed just across the street. He wanted to go back, but there was little chance he was going to be welcomed with open arms.

Dejected, Dallas grabbed an old throw from the linen closet and set up his bed on the longest sofa. He fell asleep imagining Ellie's warm figure pressed against him, the feel of her back, her breasts, the softness of her stomach, the rise and fall of every breath, the coconut shampoo in her hair.

* * *

Ellie wasn't shocked to find Dallas missing the next morning. He was supposed to drive them to school, but after last night she wouldn't be surprised if he was curled up somewhere, nursing a hangover. They managed to catch a ride with Darry to school, and from there it was a short walk to _The Dingo_ for work. It was slow, the usual for a monday, and she spent most of the time cleaning the same tables over and over again. Penny and the two other girls on shift took breaks to work on homework or chat, but Ellie didn't feel like doing either that day. Her mind was a mess of confusion and regret. The last thing she wanted was to have enough free time to dwell on it.

Johnny finished his shift earlier. He came by an hour before she was off and hung out in one of the booths, making conversation with older greasers. He and the rest of the gang knew virtually every east-side kid in town, a by-product from living in one place all their lives. The downside to this was that by mid-day, the whole school seemed to know Ellie wasn't wearing Dally's class ring any longer.

"Bad timing." Penny mentioned suddenly while they refilled the ketchup bottles.

Ellie barely glanced up from her work. "Hm?"

"Your break up. It's bad timing." Penny screwed on the lid of the bottle in her hand and went on to the next one. "Sylvia's back in town."

Ellie opened her mouth to deny their split, but stopped herself. Were they broken up? They hadn't officially done it, though she knew Johnny had given Dallas his ring back. But it didn't feel quite finished; as if the relationship was still hanging by it's last threads, not quite severed yet.

"Sylvia can do whatever she wants." Ellie said instead, "If Dallas wants to take her back, then who am I to stop them?"

Penny shot her a look, something like sympathy and annoyance, but didn't reply. Ellie finished her work slowly to pass the time, then washed her hands and grabbed her coat before standing ready to clock out exactly at six. Johnny said goodbye to his friends and they began the walk home.

"You doin' okay?" Johnny asked her as they crossed the main intersection before the suburbs officially began.

Ellie shrugged. She hadn't cried since the other morning, but all day she felt weighed down with an intensity of feelings, buzzing like a hornet's nest in her chest.

"Awe, don't feel so bad." Johnny tussled her hair in an attempt to make her feel better. "That just leaves you with more time to hang out with important people."

She managed to crack a small smile. "Like who?"

"Me, obviously." He frowned, pretending to be insulted. "I gotta say, you've been real neglectful lately."

Ellie slapped his arm. "Oh, stop it! You're starting to sound like Two-Bit."

Johnny shoved her shoulder in retaliation, then skipped forward to avoid another arm slap. He turned around to walk backwards, facing her with a widening grin. "Why don't you date him? I think heard Kathy's finished with him."

"For now." She snorted, "Wait a few days and they'll be inseparable again. Anyway, he ends up in jail more times than Dallas does. I don't think I can handle a boyfriend that spends every night in the drunk tank."

Johnny hummed thoughtfully. "What about Soda? Though you'll have to break the spell Sandy has over him first."

Ellie grabbed his arm and steered him to the left before he rammed into a sign. A car was just pulling up to the three-way stop and a group of boys could be heard cackling at his near-accident. Johnny turned to face the right way as they hustled across the street.

Annoyance inched at her, both from the thought of Soda with Sandy and the rude group of boys. "I _hate_ her. I can't believe she strings Soda along like that- it's cruel!"

Johnny shrugged, tucking his hands into his pockets. "It's half Soda's fault for not dumping her in the first place. Just leave them alone- they'll figure it out themselves, one way or the other. In the meantime, Darry is available."

Ellie made an expression of disgust. "Ew. He's like... everyone's parent."

"Hey, he's a human too!" Johnny's smile crept back onto his face. "The girls used to dig him pretty well before he ditched school and started working full time."

"Yeah, but he's like, forty." She said, waving him away.

Johnny laughed. "He's twenty!"

"Still too old- not to mention illegal!"

An engine revved behind her and she turned her head, spotting the same car of boys trailing a block or so behind them. It was a shiny new car (a model she couldn't name) painted blue- one that they had seen multiple times around school. The boys, around four or five of them all crammed into the car with their arms and cigarette-wielding hands spilling out of the windows, could still be heard shouting loudly amongst themselves- or were they yelling at the two of them? They were too far away to make out any words.

"Come on." Johnny said, having noticed them as well. He grabbed her hand and they quickened their pace down the street.

"Why can't I date you?" Ellie asked, mostly to keep their minds off the car. The sound of the engine faded as they walked and she felt her anxiety go along with it.

Johnny's nose scrunched up. "That'd ruin things."

"Huh..." Ellie hummed, adjusting her school bag strap against her shoulder. She had no intention of dating Johnny, but now that the idea was in her head, she couldn't help but wonder what it would be like. Really, it wouldn't be a whole lot different than the kind of relationship they already had, just with kissing. Still, the thought sat uncomfortably in her mind. Maybe she was still too hung up on Dallas, but adding romance to that relationship felt like it would cheapen it. "You're right. I need a man who can do his own laundry."

Johnny puffed out his chest. "Please, I'm a catch, flaws and all. I'll have you know that I'm going on a date this wednesday!"

"_What_?" Ellie gasped, stopping dead in her tracks. "With who?"

"That girl I met at the DX a couple months ago- the one that went on a vacation to California."

"A Soc?" Ellie asked, wearily. "Wait- the one you beat up?"

Johnny's cheeks pinkened. "No! I mean, I didn't beat her up! I accidently hit her a little, that's all. _Anyway_, she's back from California and she came by the DX with her friend- who wanted to oogle at Soda, of course- and I asked her out."

"_You_ asked her out?"

"Alright, alright!" Johnny shoved her again and she nearly fell into the street. "So maybe she was the one who bought up the idea, but I sort-of... went along with it?"

Ellie flashed him a cheeky grin. "So you mean she asked you out and you said yes?"

"Whatever!"

Suddenly the rumble of an engine could be heard again, growing louder in an alarmly rapid rate. Johnny grabbed Ellie's hand again as the blue car rounded the street corner and into view. The driver, a curly haired boy roughly seventeen or eighteen, had his head out the window and was shouting something at them as he sped up the road.

Ellie took a step closer to Johnny. "Should we-... what should we do?"

"Relax." Johnny instructed, though she could feel he was as tense as a board. Turning them around again, he pulled her down the rest of the block before turning into another street, then down an alleyway in an attempt to lose the car. It worked; the car zoomed past the opening of the alley while the two of them stayed close to the side of fences and garages, hiding from plain sight. The engine could still be heard, but the sound rose and waned as the Socs weaved through the streets, lost in unfamiliar territory. At the end of the alley they crossed the road, walked down half the block, and then tucked themselves into another alleyway. They did this twice more, and by the end of it Ellie wasn't quite sure where Johnny was taking her. Mid-way through the fourth alley, Johnny stopped.

"We're almost home." He said, jumping over a ditch to get to the side of a tall fence. Ellie followed suit, though he had to grab hold her when her heel hooked into the tangle of weeds and nearly took her down. When they were both on solid ground, Johnny bent down and cradled his hands together.

"Don't look up my skirt." Ellie warned as she put her hand on his shoulder and her foot in the cradle. Johnny let out a short chuckle as he heaved her high enough. She grabbed the edge of the fence and pulled the rest of her into a sitting position on the top, then swung her legs over, counted to three, and jumped down to the other side. While Ellie waited for Johnny to come over on his own, she scanned her surroundings. It appeared as if they were in the field by the house, though it looked different from so far back. Still, the tree she had often laid under while the boys played football was still planted firmly in the corner, it's leaves fallen in an array of yellows and it's branches left bare.

Johnny fell on his feet a step behind her. He brushed his hands off on his jeans and grabbed her hand once more. "Come on, we shouldn't hang around."

Yet it was all in vain. A moment later the blue car squealed into the lot, bouncing over the curb and into the grass.

"There you are!" One of the boys shouted, and the rest of them began to laugh.

The Socs began to crawl out of the car. They must have been drinking, Ellie realized as she stared each of their reddened faces.

"Johnny?" Ellie mumbled uncertainly, gripping his hand as tightly as he gripped her's. "What do we do?"

He didn't answer. His gaze was fixed on the group of Socs as they approached, five in total. Then, before she could even catch it, Johnny was... different. He was no longer soft along the edges; a young boy looking to keep out of trouble. He grew taller with sudden confidence, his shoulders pulled back, a calm, danger gleam in his chocolate eyes. Ellie shivered looking up at him, scared of just how badly their situation was if it meant Johnny was preparing for a fight.

"When I tell you to," Johnny said in a low voice. "You're going to start walkin' away."

Ellie clung desperately to his hand as he tried to pull away. "And leave you alone with them? Are you crazy?"

He gave her a small little smirk that looked as if it belonged on Dally's face instead. Then he pushed her gently towards the oak tree, as if it somehow had the power to protect her.

"Hey greaser." One boy- the driver- called out with a smile. He was grudgingly handsome, with silky brunette hair and a tall, firm frame. He was dressed unusually well, as if he had just come back from a trip to the country club. Three, thick rings were wrapped around his fingers, more luxuriously expensive than Ellie's whole jewelry box combined. "Did we interrupt your date?"

Ellie scanned the gang of Socs, making note of the familiar faces. Some of them were on the football team, though their names escaped her now. She could remember spending some time with them during the summer while she was still dating Ben. They were friendly enough back then, so why were they pretending as if she was just another girl on the street? Surely they recognized her; she could tell by the way they avoided her gaze.

Johnny was walking towards them as well, adding distance between them and Ellie. "This isn't your territory, Soc."

"We know." The driver said casually, like a cat would speak to a mouse before it goes for the kill. "We're just a little lost, aren't we boys? Just thought we'd ask for directions."

"That's why you stalked me down half the neighborhood?" Johnny asked, unconvinced.

"Awe, relax, greaser. You look nervous." Another boy said, tall and skinny with a beatles-inspired haircut, and Ellie caught a glint of something metal in his hand- a bottle of Jack. Her suspicions were confirmed, her unease doubling tenfold. She took another step back, edging towards the tree and the fence, hoping to God she could get far enough out of their eyesight to make a break for it. Every inch of her hammering heart begged to stay with Johnny and help him, but she knew there was little she could do but get in the way. Their best shot for getting out of this relatively unscaved was to run back to the Curtis'. Someone was bound to be there- she _prayed_ someone would be there.

"What the hell do I got to be nervous about?" Johnny pulled his cigarette carton from his jacket and shook one out. His hands were steady as he placed the smoke between his lips and lit the tip for a deep, long drag.

"Can ya' stand to spare one of those?" The driver asked with a condescending smirk. "I seemed to have forgotten mine at home."

Johnny tucked his full pack back into his jacket and answered with his own sarcastic tone. "Sorry, it's my last one."

His words were the incentive they were waiting for. They started closing in, slowly, almost unnoticeable over their conversation.

"Now, that ain't nice, is it, greaser?" The driver turned to the other boy, who seemed to be the only one out of the other four willing to speak. "Randy, I think the kid doesn't want to share with us."

"Jeez, greaser, you're breaking' our hearts." Randy sighed theatrically formed a loose circle around Johnny. "What ever happened to the kindness of strangers? We'd help you out if you asked for it. In fact, why don't you and your girl get in the car with us? We'll drive you all the way home."

"That's a real nice idea, Randy. Come on, kiddo, don't be scared. We don't bite." The driver smiled, turning his gaze to Ellie as she cowered to the side. Her skin crawled. There was something worse in his stare than the distant ice or the angry fires she saw so often in her friends' faces. His green-blue eyes are filled with something horrible- no, not filled at all... they were _empty_.

"Your girl wants to come along for a ride, don't you, sweetheart?" The driver said. He recognized her; that much she could tell. "Sick of slumming it yet? I know that bumbling idiot you were dating before wasn't good enough to keep you from wandering off to the wrong side of town, but I can show you a much better time. How about it, baby? You ready to start dating a real man now?"

Ellie swallowed hard, stepping back until her shoulder brushed against the bark of the tree. "W-why? Do you know any? 'Cause last time I checked, real men don't pick fights when the odds are five against one."

"A fight?" Randy snorted, "We-"

Johnny used their distraction to tackle one of the boys, slamming his skull into his stomach, tossing them both into the dirt. There was a shout, a growl, and then the driver had Johnny by the collar of his jacket to drag him off.

Ellie hesitated for a moment between running and staying. This was the perfect moment- perhaps the only one they'd get. Yet she couldn't do it. Her legs were cemented to the ground, unable to turn away as another boy burrowed his fist in Johnny's gut. His face twisted up in pain, his teeth grit to hold back a groan. Suddenly his tough act was gone and he was just Johnny again, half-strangled by his collar and taking heavy punches to the face.

"Get off him!" Ellie shrieked. She couldn't do this again- couldn't bare to see her best friend broken and bloody simply because he existed. He didn't deserve it. He didn't deserve _any of it._ She ran towards him, shouting at them to stop, but just as suddenly her vision was blocked by a long torso.

"Where are you going, baby?" Randy asked, but Ellie could hardly register his words. The Socs were laughing, but all she could hear were Johnny's low grunts of pain, muffled by a clenched jaw as if every noise he made was a loss of pride.

She tried to push past Randy and he wrapped his arms around her torso, pulling her back against the tree. She shouted and screamed at him, scratching manically at his arms with her long nails. "Let him go! Let him go, let him go, let him go!" She took a deep breath, then screamed as loudly and shrilly as her voice could allow her, "_Let him go_!"

Randy winced, ramming her back against the tree to shut her up. The impact knocked the breath out of her lungs, her scream falling short.

"Get your fucking hands off her!" Johnny growled, fighting to get out of the grip they had on his neck and arms. But it was useless; even when he managed to wiggle free from his jacket and land a punch on one of the Socs, there was already another one grabbing hold of him again. Blood had started to pour from his temple and nose, running into his eyes and onto his shirt. He fought more viciously as they forced him to the ground, twisting and kicking and trying desperately to get out of their grip.

Ellie screamed again as the driver gave Johnny a hard kick to the back of his head, watching the strength fall from his body as unconsciousness took him. His hands and rings were red with blood, even his face was spotted with it. Her voice grew raw. "Stop! You're killing him!"

Randy turned and jabbed his forearm against her throat, choking her. His face was contorted with anger. "Scream one more time, you little bitch, and I'll make sure you get it just as bad as him."

Ellie clawed futilely at his arm, fighting for every breath. But there was nothing to do now- nothing she _could_ do but watch. They beat on Johnny, even after they realized he was no longer fighting back. Threats flew from their mouth, about him, about her, horrible and taunting. They meant it, too. They meant every word. They leaned down and told him they were going to kill him, and Ellie knew they would.

Fresh blood began to boom along Johnny's stomach where he got kicked the most, but it soaked his hair as well and streaked along his arms. Very quickly he began to look like nothing but blood- blood and wounds and death. Ellie wasn't sure when she had started to sob, but suddenly Randy wasn't choking her- wasn't even touching her. She fell down along the tree and onto her knees, her hands over her mouth as she cried his name, over and over.

There was a streak of white. A torrent of barks followed Lady as she tore across the field, her muzzle pulled back to reveal a set of large dagger-like teeth. The Socs didn't have time to brace themselves before she was on them. The huge kuvasz was almost as tall as them on her hind legs, and she had no trouble tearing through the fabric of their clothes and sinking her teeth into their limbs. She took down two of them in a matter of seconds,turned them bloody before setting off for the third. Ellie felt the ground shake as Randy fell beside her, Lord on his back, his teeth deep into the boy's shoulder. He had been aiming for the jugular, like he had been taught, but missed. Ellie wished he hadn't.

Ellie scrambled to her feet, tripped, fell, and got up again. She was hardly aware of the Socs running back to the car, Lord and Lady snapping at their heels, trying to catch one last bite before they reached the safety of the metal encasing. A horrible sound tumbled from her mouth as she saw Johnny up close. There's so much blood. One arm was trampled and twisted, the other sticking out of his shoulder oddly. His shirt was torn half off, soaked in red, his face unrecognizable underneath the gore. Ellie dropped to her knees beside him, afraid to touch him- afraid to make it worse. Was he dead? She tried to focus on his face, check if he was breathing, searching for any sign that he was alive. The world spun around, dizzy and fast, and she dropped her face down into his chest, crying into his blood.

"Ellie!"

She couldn't tell how long she had stayed like that, but suddenly there were hands on her shoulder, trying to pull her back. Scared it that it was the Socs coming back for more, she tightened her grip around Johnny and screamed. "Get away! Get away from him!"

She didn't have anything left in her but to kick blindly at their feet, begging to leave them alone. The hands on her shoulders left, only to be replaced by an arm around her torso. Someone was trying to lift her up. She clung even more desperately to Johnny, the grass and roots beside him, anything she could grab hold of.

"Relax." They told her, and she recognized the voice as Darry's. She didn't care. She wasn't going to leave Johnny on the ground alone. He gave her one strong tug and she was wrenched away.

"Get off me!" She screeched, kicking and punching at him. "Johnny! Johnny! _Johnny_!"

Darry took a few steps back and slid her down to her feet, trapping her against him. Ellie watched as Soda crouched down by Johnny, lifting his head onto his lap. The rest of the gang was there as well, staring down at him, their faces paper-white.

"Is he dead?" Ponyboy choked out.

Soda pushed a tuft of hair from Johnny's forehead, then wiped away some of the blood with the sleeve of his sweater. His face was swollen with bruises and a deep, jagged cut marked his face from temple to cheek.

"Johnny?" Soda called gently, pressing a hand to the unmarred side of his face. "Johnnycake?"

Johnny didn't answer right away, but they could see his adam's apple bob as he swallowed. "...Soda?"

A wave of relief passed through them all, so tangible they could see the stress and fear roll from their shoulders. Ellie dropped her head back against Darry, sobbing softly.

Steve carried Johnny all the way to Ellie's house, up the stairs, and into his bedroom. Ellie could have walked there herself, but Darry had wrapped her up in his arms without a word and carried her alongside them like a child, her legs wrapped around his torso, her face pressed into his shoulder. When they got there he tried to take her into her own room, but she fought and shouted at him until he relented. Ellie was at Johnny's side a moment later, grasping at his hand and forcing herself not to squeeze his mangled fingers.

"Are you okay?" Johnny asked her weakly, and she nodded. They stared at each other for a moment, both crying earnestly, understanding the fear in each other's face, promising silently that it would never, never happen again and knowing that it would anyway. What could they do? They were two saplings caught in a hurricane. Johnny smiled, but it was sad and painful. "I'm okay too."

Soda came in a moment later with Dallas and the dogs loping at their feet. Lady was limping, a cut on her leg, but besides that they were both alive and calm.

Soda shoo-ed Ponyboy away from the other side of Johnny and cracked open his first-aid kit. His hands shook as he poured disinfectant into a washcloth. "Thought we'd lost you there, buddy."

There was a series of angry whispers. Ellie lifted her gaze from Johnny to stare at Darry and Dally arguing quietly by the bedroom entrance. Dallas spat something in a low, frustrated voice. "-_get them_!" Was all she could make out before he slammed his fist against the door frame so hard the pipes in the wall rattled.

Darry stopped talking, his face set, meeting Dally's glare with his own overpowering ice. "No, Dallas. The last thing we need is for you or anyone else in prison because they couldn't control themselves."

Johnny hissed as Soda pressed the washcloth against the tear in his face and Ellie turned back to him, whispering, "It's okay, Johnnycake, it's okay."

Across the room, Dallas wasn't giving up so easily. "We'll get the Shepards and the Brumlys. They'll be eager for a rumble, especially with the Socs."

"I said no!" Darry snapped, catching the rest of the gang's attention. He waved them away and lowered his voice as he spoke to Dallas again. "This gang doesn't start rumbles, do you understand me? Things with the Shepards and Socs heat up enough for a rumble, then we'll be right there alongside them. But not us- we don't need those kinds of enemies. Got it?"

"I'm with Dallas." Two-Bit spoke up from his perch on the windowsill. For the first time he wasn't smiling but looked as grim and angry as the rest of them. "The Socs are already our enemies. They don't care if we asked for it or not."

From the other side of the room, Steve nodded. "I'll fight. Hell, I don't even care if it's a rumble. I say we go over there right now and find those pieces of shit."

"No." Darry growled, blocking the doorway with his massive frame. He crossed his arms over his chest.

"Darry's right. I don't want anyone else fighting today." Johnny rasped. He tried to sit up but Ellie's frantic wide-eyed stare stopped him. Instead he laid back down, running his thumb against her clammy calm, staring hard at the ceiling above. "Anyway, if we find those bastards, I want to be there. I'm _going to be _there."

Dallas didn't seem convinced. He wavered in front of Darry, caught in between listening to his friend or fighting to get his revenge- even if it meant turning on his leader.

"He needs us here." Darry said in a whisper almost impossible to hear. "He needs you here... and so does _she_."

They turned to look at her but she kept her head down, concentrating on Johnny's torn face, ashamed of the tears streaking her cheeks. She felt weak and useless under their gaze, and so _guilty_. Why didn't she run? He would have suffered so much less if she had just listened.

"I'm doing this _for _them." Was Dallas' response. Darry didn't resist, but moved out of his way as the younger man pushed past. Steve and Two-Bit got up as well, avoiding Darry's burning stare as they followed Dallas out. Ellie felt a knot twisting in her chest as she watched them go. It was all becoming too much and another wave of tears began to swell in her eyes.

There was a whine at her feet. A second later Lady had jumped onto the bed. She crawled up to Johnny and sniffed and licked his forearm. Then she retreated to Ellie's side to rest, her great muzzle stained red as she sat there panting. Where Lord had crawled off to, Ellie wasn't quite sure.

* * *

**Sorry it took so long to update. Since someone asked in last chapter's reviews, I'll give you an explanation as to why I don't update quicker than every two weeks: I have work, I go to college, I like to go on trips, and I also have other hobbies such as writing original works, reading, watching shows/movies (another form of storytelling that I love) and I also dabble in art. I'm also officially old enough to drink in my country, so... that's pretty time consuming. Sorry! I honestly try to write every single day, but it's _hard_. At least I'm not GRRM! :)**

**Let me know if there are any spelling/grammar problems. I rushed to proof-read this cuz I wanted to put it up as quickly as possible.**

**WARNING: NEXT CHAPTER IS RATED M. This will be your only warning!**


	36. I'm on Fire

36.

Dally, Two-Bit and Steve scoured the town until midnight, but the blue car had disappeared deep into the bowels of Soc territory. When Dallas got back the house was shrouded in darkness; so much so that he wondered if anyone was still there. Lord was laid by the front door, watching him with piercing eyes as Dally kicked off his shoes. He bent down and pressed a hand into the fur behind his ear for a deep scratch. The rottweiler's tongue lolled out to lick it's maw, but besides than that, Lord didn't react. Dallas left him there and headed up the stairs, panic gurgling up in his chest. Things were too quiet; too sullen. The last time he had entered a house this somber was at the Curtis', the day of their parent's death. He hurried down the hall, restraining from throwing Johnny's bedroom door open as he moved inside. Ellie was curled up at the foot of the bed, using Lady for warmth. The kuvasz's leg was bound neatly; Soda's handy-work. Dallas went over to Johnny first, sighing heavily through his nose at the sight of his friend's chest and it's steady rise and fall. Most of Johnny's swollen face was covered in a bandage, and though Dally knew it was only to stem the bleeding of a singular cut, it made him look worse than ever. At least his shoulder had been popped into place and his fingers splinted. He'd heal faster if they took him to see a doctor, but there wasn't anyone to pay the hospital bills and it was too much of a risk if they tried to get a hold of Johnny's parents.

Dallas pushed a few stray locks from the boy's forehead and swore softly under his breath.

"He looks like something you'd see in 'Nam, doesn't he?" Ellie whispered and Dallas turned to her. She had been asleep a minute ago, but now she stared at him through sleep-heavy leashes.

Dallas rounded the bed and scooped her up. He was always surprised at how light she was. "Come on."

"I don't want to go!" Ellie whispered frantically, latching onto the bed post and wiggling in his arms. "I need to watch him! I need to-"

"Calm down." Dally mumbled, shifting so that he had a better grip around her. "He's fine; he's not going to keel over in the middle of the night."

She stopped struggling and let him carry her to the bathroom. He sat her on the toilet. A washcloth sat in the sink, soaked in watered-down blood.

"What are you doing?" She asked as he grabbed her toothbrush and ran it under water before squeezing a glob of toothpaste onto the bristles. He handed it to her, then went to rinse out the washcloth. Waiting until the water ran clean, he rung it out until it was damp.

"Lift your hands."

She did as instructed, seemingly surprised by the scratches embedded in her palms. "How'd I-...?"

Dallas was silent as he cleaned her hands. He used her tweaser to pick out the slivers, gripping her wrist tight when she jerked away in pain.

"This hurts." She whined, her brows knotted together. He finished up as quickly as he could, leaving the smaller slivers hoping they'd wash out naturally. Then he picked Ellie up again, felt her hands wrap around his neck as he carried them into the hall and through her bedroom door.

"Have you eaten anything?" Dallas asked, depositing her into the nest of blankets and pillows on her bed.

She rolled over onto her stomach, pressing her face into the mattress."I don't want to eat."

He went downstairs and came back up with a sandwich; thick with cold slices and extra mustard. With a little prodding he managed to get her sitting up again.

"I don't want to." Ellie complained again when he handed her the sandwich.

Dallas gave her a look. "Don't argue."

She flipped the edge of the bread to peek inside, then took a small bite. Satisfied, he turned away to shrug off his jacket, then his jeans and socks. Ellie had already made space for him on the bed when he was finished. Her sandwich was gone, the last remnants being chewed away in her mouth as she swiped crumbs off the sheets.

He got under the covers and flipped off the lamp. Ellie shuffled around for a moment before he felt her back press against his side.

"I guess you never found them." She mumbled into the darkness.

"I will."

"And then what?" She continued, "Beat them up?"

Dallas threw his arm up and rested it over his eyes. He had just run out of smokes but he was hankering for one now. "At the very least."

Ellie twisted around, propped herself up on her elbow and pulled his arm away to see his face. "You'll wind up in jail. Two-Bit and Steve as well. And then who wins?"

Dallas kept his eyes shut, taking deep breath. "We never win, Princess."

She didn't say anything for a moment, then leaned so far over him that her torso was off the bed.

"What the hell are you doing?" He grumbled, grabbing her leg to keep her from falling.

"P.J.s." She stated, crawling back up with his t-shirt in hand. Tugging her dress over her head, she replaced it with his clothes, then crawled back under the covers. "Honestly, when you left I was hoping you would find them. This kind of stuff- ... I've never been jumped before. All I could do was stand there while they hurt him. I wanted... I wanted to..." She swallowed, her voice filling with tears. "I thought he was _dead_."

Dallas had thought Johnny was dead as well- still couldn't believe he was alive. A hot, nauseated feeling overcame him every time he pictured it; Ellie sobbing in the field, haunched over a mangled body. He sighed again.

She pressed her back against him again, warm and soft. He moved onto his side and threw an arm around her waist.

"Dally?"

"Hm?"

Her hand brushed over his. "I'm glad you're here."

* * *

"-The fair girl went on her knees and bent over me, fairly gloating. There was a deliberate voluptuousness which was both thrilling and repulsive, and as she arched her neck she actually licked her lips like an animal-" Ellie set _Dracula_ face down against her lap. "Are you awake?"

Johnny was lying along the length of the bed, his torso bare and his legs covered by a heavy duvet. He was very quiet, staring up at the ceiling. Ellie could see he was thinking about something very deeply, and debated on whether it would be good to interrupt him. She peered down at him from her seat by his head. When she didn't get a reaction, she began to read again.

"-Till I could see in the moonlight the moisture shining on the scarlet lips and the red tongue as it lapped the white teeth-" She put the book down again. "Johnny? Are you okay? Do you need more painkillers? Are you hungry? Do you need to use the washroom?"

She pressed the back of a hand to his cheek, the thick scab scratching against her palm. The touch seemed to catch Johnny's attention; his blackened eyes softened as they turned to her.

"Ellie?"

"Johnnycake?" She smiled, trying to push back the worry that was no doubt written across her expression.

His frown deepened. "I'm sorry I couldn't protect you better."

Ellie didn't know how to respond right away. She shook her head, her mouth falling open and then snapping shut, searching for the right words. "Johnny, I..."

"I should have-"

"Stop it." She finally managed to say, "Johnny, you did everything to keep me safe. I can't even imagine what would have happened if I was alone."

Johnny turned back to the ceiling, her words having no impact. "It wasn't enough though, was it?"

"Are you upset because you were beaten up?" Ellie tossed the book down the length of the bed and turned fully to him. "There were five of them. Nobody- not even Darry- could have fought that many and win."

"No one would even dare jump Darry."

She could hear the hidden meaning behind his words, but struggled to understand it. "Darry is _huge_, Johnnycake. That's just how he turned out to be."

"So this is just how _I've _turned out to be then?" Johnny asked, and she was shocked to hear the bitterness in his voice. "The perfect size to beat the crap out of?"

"T-that's not what I mean. Steve and Soda and Dally are smaller too and they-" Ellie didn't quite know how to finish the sentence without twisting her own words. She took a deep breath. "What is this really about?"

"I'm just..." He caught her gaze, saw something in it that made him uncomfortable, and turned his head away. His uninjured hand balled up in anger. "I'm just tired of being shit on all the time, Ellie."

As if he couldn't stand to sit still any longer, Johnny hiked himself up on his elbows and kicked himself up into a sitting position.

"You need to rest, Johnny. It'll take a little longer for your ribs to heal." Ellie put a hand on his shoulder, wincing as he brushed her off. She didn't say anything more as he tried to swing his legs over the edge of the bed, his arms quaking in weakness and pain. While the swelling had quelled and the bruises had begun to fade over the weeks, his appearance hadn't brightened. His appetite had waned, his hair and skin was dull, and bags were setting under his blackened eyes from lack of sleep. Even Soda or Two-Bit struggled to bring a smile to his face. All Johnny wanted to do was lay in bed and stare up at the ceiling.

Johnny brought his hand up to examine- three of his fingers were in make-shift splints. "It's always me."

"That's not your fault." Ellie said, praying he'd believe her.

It was hard to see him this way. They were usually so close. Their year-long friendship felt more like decades of kinship. He knew all her sorrows and joys; Ellie always thought she knew just as much about him. Everyone had hoped his melancholia would fade away with the injuries, but it had only grown worse. Despondency had turned into frustration and he had never been so far out of reach as he was at that moment.

He shook his head. She wondered if he was even listening.

"I can't...do this." Johnny mumbled, as if he was speaking to himself. He had collapsed deep inside himself and she wasn't quite sure who was speaking anymore. "I can't stand feeling everything anymore."

Ellie's belly sank. "That's just life, Johnny. Sometimes it hurts, but-"

"It doesn't have to." Johnny interrupted, "It only hurts if you let it."

"So what? You're just going to bottle everything up?" She felt her own frustration- resentment towards herself for not being able to soothe him- bubble forward. "Become all hard and cold just so you don't have to feel?"

Johnny tensed at her tone. "Works for Dallas."

"Does it?" Ellie asked, letting out a dry, disbelieving chuckle. "He likes to pretend he doesn't feel sadness, grief, fear... hell, maybe he doesn't. But when was the last time he laughed over something silly, or expressed affection freely, or told... or told someone he loved them? Now he's been like that for so long he doesn't know any other way. It's not admirable, Johnny, it's... it's just not."

This time he seemed to hear her words, though whether they really sunk in, she couldn't be sure. He stretched his unbandaged fingers, touching them to his palm and then outwards over and over again. "Maybe that's what it takes to survive."

Ellie inched across the bed. She pressed her hand against his cheek and turned him to look at her. "You are _not_ Dallas. I know things can feel really dark sometimes, but you're strong enough to get through it, just as you are now."

"But what if I'm not?" Johnny asked, and all of a sudden his anger melted away and there were tears running down his face, tracing the outline of her hand still on his cheek. His voice cracked as he went on, "You don't understand, Ellie. I can't take it anymore. I have to do something- something has to change. I'd thought it would go away when I got out of that house but it didn't. It followed me, Ellie. I don't even know if I've ever been okay, or if I ever will be or-..."

He had grown more frightened as he went on, clutching the fabric of his shirt as if it was shrinking against him. Then suddenly he stopped all together, shivering and staring blankly across the room.

"Johnny?" Ellie asked, her own hands shaking as she moved from his cheek to his shoulder.

"I'm real sorry, Els." He said, easing back down to rest his head on the pillows. "I don't feel good right now. Can you go back to readin'?"

Ellie didn't fight him. She grabbed _Dracula_ and went back to her previous seat. When she read her jaw ached and the meaning of the words slipped through her mind.

* * *

"Where have you been?" Ellie huffed, stomping up to him on the street, her heels clacking angrily against the pavement. She had her coat pulled tight around her, fighting off the stinging wind. "It's been two weeks you _dirtbag_!"

Dallas turned his head around, brows furrowing at the sight of her. "How'd you find me?"

"I asked all the boys and they wouldn't tell me anything." Ellie followed as he started down the street again, "So I had to go to Tim's house-"

"I told you," Dallas grit out, "to stay away from him."

Ellie couldn't understand why he was so worried about Tim. He hadn't pulled a single move on her since before she had started dating Dallas, and even then it hadn't seemed sincere. It wasn't as if she had even gone to his house alone either- Angel had been there and was more than willing to harass her brother for information.

"Why do I have to listen to you?" Ellie huffed, "How do you suppose you'd even stop me? You're hardly around!"

Dallas ran a hand through his hair. "I'm not getting into this again. I'm _busy_, alright?"

She had to nearly jog to keep up with him down the street. "Doing what?"

"None of your business." He stopped at the end of the block, scanning up and down the near empty road. "I've gotta go. I'll come see you later tonight."

Ellie ignored the dismissal, following him around the corner. The street in front of them was dirtier than the last, lined with day-old garbage bags and foggy with steaming , squat apartment buildings were on either side, ranging from dingy to abandoned. The street's only occupants were two fighting cats in the adjoining alley way, noticed only by their screeching. She grabbed his jacket sleeve to keep close. "That's not why I'm here, Dallas. Everyone's been in and out of the house every day to see Johnny. Everyone except you."

Dallas didn't respond. Something far down the road had caught his attention.

"He wants to see you." Ellie added.

"How do you know?"

"He looks up to you." She stepped into his path and turned to face him, cutting him off. Dallas was forced to turn his gaze from the street to her." He needs your support right now, more than anyone."

Dallas rolled his eyes and moved around Ellie."You're overthinking things."

"I'm not." She insisted, matching his quickened pace. "Johnny's different, Dally. He's... not... he's not coping well and I'm really worried."

Dallas jammed his hands in his jacket pocket to keep them out of the cold, then crossed the street. Like a dog on a leash, Ellie followed. He seemed to have no interest in her pleading, nor did he seem particularly worried. But she couldn't relent just yet. Johnny had been wrong about Dallas- at least on the subject of closing himself off to survive. But he had been right about one thing; Dally and Johnny had both struggled through similar childhoods, and thought their personalities couldn't be more different, the defining thing about their friendship was that they _understood_. They understood how it felt to be beat down, to live without love, to have nothing, to expect nothing. No matter how close she felt to Johnny, Ellie would never truly grasp how he felt- could never fathom the damage those hardships had inflicted on his mind and soul.

"Promise me you'll see him today." Ellie demanded as they stopped again, sandwiched between a windowless bar and a row of muscle cars. Two greasers in their twenties were laughing and chain smoking at the entrance of an alley. Leaning back against the brick wall a few paces away, Dallas pulled out a cigarette. He smoked in silence, scanning up and down the street as if he was waiting for someone.

"Dallas-"

"You ain't in much of a position to order me around anymore." He said, talking over her. "If remember correctly, you broke up with me weeks ago."

The two greasers passed them as they went back inside the bar. One let his gaze linger on Ellie for a moment too long, a lecherous smile on his face, but besides that they paid the two no mind. Once they were safely through the door, Dallas kicked off and rounded one of the cars- a souped up corvette.

"As if you'd listen to me if we were still dating?" Ellie waited on the sidewalk, speaking to him over the car's roof. "Well, fine! Then as your friend, I'm ordering you to visit Johnny- what are you doing?"

Dallas had been fiddling with the driver-side door and she hadn't noticed until it popped open. They made eye-contact across the car roof.

Ellie stepped back. "No, no, no, no, no, no- Dallas! What the h-heck are you doing?"

"You better get in." He shrugged. "The Brumlys won't be too keen to see you standin' alone on the street after I race off with their car."

"The _Brumlys_?" She hissed, "The Brumly Boys? You're stealing from the-"

Dallas slid in front of the steering wheel, reaching over to flick open the door for the passenger seat. "Ellie, shut up and get in the fucking car."

She wavered on the sidewalk, shaking her head. Not for the first time, she cursed herself for ever getting involved with Dallas Winston. She had been a _good person_, not long ago. Now she her life was a string of horrible decisions.

"If you don't get in right now, I'm leaving you here."

Still shaking her head, Ellie rushed into the passenger seat and slammed the door. She had to grab onto the dashboard as he twisted the car out of it's parking spot and raced down the street like the hounds of hell were chasing him.

Ellie turned in her seat to look out the back window. A handful of unfamiliar Brumly boys were spilling out of the bar and shouting. Some even made an attempt to chase them down, but Dallas lost them in a matter of seconds.

"I can't believe this is happening to me." She whispered, mostly to herself as she turned around. "Why do I let this stuff happen? I could have said no. I could have walked away. Hell, I should have never come in the first place."

"You're swearing." Dallas observed.

"I need to start getting used to it, now that I've committed to a life of crime." Ellie crossed her arms over her chest, sulking in her seat. "Want to rob a bunch of banks while we're at it? We can be like Bonnie and Clyde."

"Who the hell are they?"

"Maybe you should actually watch the movies at the drive-in instead of macking on girls."

"Jealous?" Dallas said, smirking that horrible smirk that managed to both infuriate her and burn her up from the inside out. "Last time I checked I was free to do whatever I wanted with who ever I wanted."

Ellie's gut twisted. She didn't say anything for a moment, turning to the window so Dallas wouldn't be able to see how much the thought of him with someone else stung. When she could trust her voice again, she mumbled, "Sylvia must be happy to have you back, then."

"What the hell does that bitch have to do with anything?" Dallas growled, his temper flaring at the mention of her name.

Ellie could feel the tears begin to swell and she shut her eyes to wish them away. Hadn't she vowed to stop crying? She took a shaky breath, willing herself to be brave. "Are you telling me that you would say no to her? After all the months I made you wait?"

"Listen, I haven't ever done anything I didn't want to do, got it? " Dallas stopped at a red light. He flicked the rest of his cigarette out the window and slipped his hand onto her thigh just above her knee. The smell of smoke and his cologne was stronger as he leaned in close to her. "You're my fucking girl, even when you're acting like a goddamn lunatic."

Ellie wanted so badly for him to kiss her then, but then the light turned green and the car behind them honked angrily. Dallas turned his attention back to the road. She licked her parched lips nervously. His hand stayed on her thigh, brushing absentmindedly over her knee and then lower before looping back up. Though he seemed to think nothing of it as he drove, the motion was steadily setting Ellie on fire. She wished they could stay like this; a moment without expectations. But eventually they'd have to face reality again- face the facts. They were together but broken up; fighting and then teasing; wanting different things but still wanting each other.

They drove deeper into the suburbs and Ellie recalled the stolen car they were sitting in. "Where are we going?"

"The D.X." Dallas admitted, and a few minutes later they were pulling into the garage.

Soda and Steve scrambled away from the hood of a rusty farm truck to meet them. They're smiles fell as Ellie slid from the passenger seat and into view.

"Damn it, Dallas!" Steve whined, tossing a wrench into a stuffed tool box a few feet away. "This is why I hate workin' with you! Now everyone's gonna know."

Dally shrugged, rounding the car to sit on the hood. "Gimme my money."

"We asked for parts, not the whole car." Soda told him, stringing his arm around Ellie's shoulder. "Hey, Els... you won't tell my brother, will ya'?"

"Relax." She rolled her eyes, "Johnny told me about you two ages ago. But I'm a little insulted that you'd think I'd tattle on you."

Soda's smile was sheepish. He pulled teasingly on a strand of her hair as if was a suitable reply and she shoved her shoulder into his side in retaliation. They watched Steve lead Dallas into the office attached to the garage, visible through a wall of glass. Dallas sat down on the edge of the desk as the other boy rummaged through the drawers.

"You still with him, then?" Soda asked into her ear.

Ellie sighed. "I don't know. Are you still with Sandy?"

"Touche." He chuckled gently- falsely, but Ellie didn't pry. She didn't want to have to explain herself either, mostly because she didn't have an answer.

Soda propped the hood of the car and examined it's innards. He whistled. "Everything I needed and more. Dally'll be swimmin' in cash this month. If you want something nice, now's the time to ask."

Ellie followed him over, glancing uninterestedly at the parts. Everything looked like one big mess of metal, tubes, and wires. "Nothing I want can be bought."

Dallas and Steve came out of the office. Dallas was cramming something bulky into the inner-pocked of his jacket as they approached them again- presumably his reward for the car.

"One of you drive her home." Dallas demanded, flicking his finished cigarette into the floor and smooshing it with his shoe.

Steve and Soda exchanged a look, mischievous but otherwise unreadable.

"Neither of us have a car." Steve shrugged, "Sorry, buddy."

Dally scowled at them.

Ellie began to button the rest of her coat up. The wind was howling outside. "It's only a few streets down. I'll walk."

"Like hell you will." Dallas shot back immediately, digging out another cigarette. Ellie up at him questioningly, her hands still against the button at her throat. He had an angry expression on his face- though really, when did he not? Did he scared that she'd get jumped again?

Ellie didn't say anything as he grasped her hand and pulled her for the garage doors.

"You comin' to Buck's tonight?" He called back to the boys.

"Of course!" Steve hollered back, "We wouldn't miss it for the world!"

Dallas didn't bother to respond. They walked in companionable silence all the way to the main road. She was surprised that he hadn't released her hand yet; she could feel his thumb drawing slow shapes along her skin, his ring pressing into her fingers. He must have been in an exceptionally good mood.

"How much money did you get for the car?" She asked, resisting the urge to add a premand. Her hope for the boys to lead straighter lives had died a long time ago. Now the chiding was more of a habit if anything.

Dallas ran a hand through his hair. "Just enough, but not as much as I should have gotten."

"What are you spending it on? The vet visit for Ruby?"

"Mostly, yeah...She-uh..." Dallas paused- an uncharacteristic hesitation. Ellie looked up at him with an eyebrow quirked questioningly. He cleared his throat and turned away. "Shit. Well, I 'ought to have enough to get her to the vet now. I better do it soon, too. Slash has been grumblin' about putting 'er down."

Dallas sounded strained as he spoke, as if the subject was as painful to say as it was to think about. Ellie pressed into his side, hoping the extra contact would be comforting. She couldn't imagine how it must feel to have a beloved animal so close to death. When she had noticed Lady was bleeding she wouldn't let Soda leave the room until she was fixed up, but she had only been injured and not even remotely dying. He must have felt so useless, watching Ruby suffer but not being able to treat her.

"I'm sure she'll be fine." Ellie tried to sound convincing, even when she knew he wouldn't believe her. Dallas was a lot of things, but he wasn't naive.

Dallas didn't respond for a long time. She kept herself entertained by trying to peek into the windows of the houses they passed. Eventually he let go of her hand to pull out another cigarette.

"I used to be real clingy as a kid." He said, his voice muffled as he tried to keep the smoke steady in his mouth. "My father had me pretty young- somethin' like sixteen or seventeen. He didn't really know what to do with me. I remember trying to impress him all the time, maybe catch his attention- I don't know..."

He stopped for a moment to tuck his lighter back into his pocket and take a deep drag. "Anyway, my old man used to lock me up in the closet or ditch me around town to get me out of his way. Eventually I figured out the score and started fending for myself."

Ellie blinked up at him, confused. Why was he-...? "Are you trying to tell me about yourself?"

"You fucking asked."

"What-...?" Ellie stopped. She could see from his expression that he was beyond uncomfortable, his words chopped and sour in his mouth. There was more to the story than just that. If he didn't want to relive it- to say it out loud and make it real, then she wasn't going to make him. The rest of it didn't matter. What mattered was that he had tried...

Dallas had chosen her, even when he knew she would want to wait until marriage. When that didn't work, he had proposed and she rejected him because she claimed- among other things- she didn't know anything about him. And now this. Dallas was _always_ trying. It was her that was constantly making excuses, finding reasons to run instead of fight. She was a coward and he was so much braver than she could imagine.

"And my birthday is in January." He added when she didn't say anything.

Ellie nodded. She still wasn't quite sure what to say, but she knew what to do.

"Where are you going to be tonight?" She asked, throwing Dally's arm over her shoulder as they started walking again.

"At Buck's." He shrugged. "I was gonna ask if you wanted to go, actually. Get your mind off things."

She thought about it for a moment, then nodded resolutely. "Okay."

"Okay?" Dallas scoffed, a lazy half-smirk lifting at his mouth. "Does this mean you're finished being a crazy bitch?"

Ellie crossed her arms over her chest and tried to shrug off his arm, but he only slid it back over her. "I'm _not _a crazy-... You smashed a glass the other day. Then threw me out. _Then_ came slinking over to my house, drunk, and tried to pretend like everything was perfectly fine. I had a right to be angry."

"You broke up with me." He shrugged, taking another drag. "But I figured you'd come around. Can't ever get enough of ol' Dallas Winston."

Ellie jabbed him hard in the ribs. "You jerk."

"You bitch." Dallas replied smoothly, catching her off guard with a kiss. She brought her hand up to slap him but he pulled away too quickly, laughing.

He was right. Elle would always forgive him; always come running back. And maybe that was okay. She couldn't say if they were meant to be- couldn't promise they'd still be together five years from now, or even five days. But it felt like fate every time Dallas touched her or even _looked _at her and she was just so damn tired of trying to deny it.

* * *

Pony and Johnny had textbooks sprawled across the bed when Dally came up to meet them, a notebook and pencil in each hand.

He sat by Ponyboy and made a face at the papers. "Homework? Even now?"

"Johnny can pass if he keeps up with assignments." Ponyboy explained as they began to gather the textbooks. Dallas' presence seemed to be a good excuse as any to stop working. "_If_ he decides to actually do them."

Johnny tossed his notebook onto the bedside table and leaned back against the headboard. "Don't start again that again. I'll do 'em later."

"No." Pony grumbled, stuffing his textbooks into his bag and leaving Johnny's on the table with his notebook. "You'll just wait until I cave and do them myself."

Dallas grinned. "He knows you too well, Johnny-boy."

Pony punched him on the shoulder, hardly swaying the older boy. Then he hopped off the bed and started for the hall. "Ellie downstairs?"

"Mhm..." Dallas nodded, lighting another cigarette. When Pony was gone he passed the smoke to Johnny.

He shot him a small, grateful smile, pinching the skinny white stick between his thumb and index as he took a deep drag.

"You 'ought to not be slacking on your homework." Dallas commented, leaning back against one of the bed posts. "Or else you'll be playing catch-up like last time."

Johnny passed the cigarette back. "I can't even believe there's a _second_ time. When I left my parents house I was so sure I wasn't ever going to end up in bed again, lickin' my wounds."

Dally wished he could tell Johnny that it was just life- that everyone got beat up a lot, especially on the east-side. But it wasn't really true. Johnny had been beaten to near death twice in less than a year. Dallas was _always _looking for a good fight, always pissing people off, and what's the worst that had happened to him lately? A graze from a blade on his chest? A broken nose? Johnny was bad luck.

"I keep tellin' you." Dallas said lazily, "Ya' need to beef up. Who are you gonna fight all scrawny like you are? A girl?"

He got a hard kick in the shin for that. For good measure, Johnny tossed a pillow at his head. "Shut up. I could take you on, you bastard. Heard Paul Reed got you pretty good last week. Maybe I 'ought to finish the job for him."

Dallas sat straighter, irritation biting at his nerves. "Paul Reed? What a load of shit! I haven't seen that punk in a month and he thinks he can spread rumors about me? I'm going to beat him dead!"

Johnny cracked a bright grin at Dally's growing anger. Judging from the exhaustion that decorated his face only moment before, it was his first smile in a while. Dallas relaxed again, digging into the inside pocket of his jacket. "That reminds me, I got you something."

He handed the younger boy a long switchblade. It was the length of his hand and all midnight black. Johnny weighed it in his hand, then pressed the little lever and watched the blade spring up- that was black as well except for a thin stripe of white at the edge.

"Figured you could do with your own instead of borrowing everyone else's." Dally explained. He knew Johnny would never use it; he'd never fight anyone with the intent to inflict any real damage. But at least it was _something_\- a sliver of a chance against all that bad luck. "You know how to use it right?"

Johnny pointed the tip of the blade at Dallas, but they were too far apart to be of any danger. "Sure, want me to prove it?"

"Save it for the Socs." He chuckled, giving his foot a light-hearted smack as he slid off the bed.

Johnny's smile fell from his face. "Where are you goin'?"

"Relax," Dallas zipped up his jacket. "You're comin' with me. Time to get your lazy ass out of bed and back into the real world."

"Where?" Johnny straightened up, already swinging his legs over the edge of the mattress.

Dallas stuck out his hand when he tried to stand, wincing under the pain of his bruised rib. The first threads of doubt began to creep up on the older boy. He hadn't really been aware of how long his injuries would take to heal.

"Buck's."

"Are we sneaking past Ellie?" Johnny asked, letting go of Dallas as soon as he was on his feet. He hobbled towards his dresser to find a clean shirt and some decent jeans.

"Naw, she's coming."

Johnny made a unconvinced noise at the back of his throat. "She wouldn't let me go into the yard to feed the dogs. What makes you think she'll let me go to a party?"

"Trust me, she'll let you do anything if you start smilin' at her again." Dallas wandered around the room as he waited, examining the few little bits and bobs Johnny had begun to accumulate in his new home. A bottle of hair grease, his own comb, a few comics and books. If he dug a little deeper he'd probably find some playboy magazines hidden in his underwear drawer. "She's dead worried about you."

"She's worried about everyone. That's just Ellie." Johnny slipped on a black t-shirt and took a moment to watch Dallas strolling across the room. "She'd make a good mom."

The blonde offered a noncommittal hum.

"Or a good wife." Johnny supplied, snorting as Dally flipped him the bird. He went back to changing. "I'm just sayin'. You better man up soon and tell her you love her or else someone smarter is gonna do it."

Dallas growled in frustration as he came up to the side of the dresser and leaned against it. "Why the hell does everyone suddenly have an obsession with love? How come no one's harassing her about who _she_ loves? 'Cause I've proposed to her a hundred times now and she keeps sayin' no!"

"That's just because you're bein' an asshole about it." Johnny explained casually, digging around in his top drawer for his belt. "Maybe you 'ought to ask her like a normal person, you know? Take her out to dinner, give her an actual ring-"

"I _got_ a ring." Dallas dug around in the front pocket of his jeans and pulled out a thin little golden band encrusted with three diamonds- two smaller ones flanked by a larger one. "I lifted it from her ages ago. Was gonna pawn it but never found the damn time. I got a little extra cash from the runs I've been doin', so I added two diamonds and figured I'd give it to her." He tossed the ring to Johnny, who just barely caught it. "Broke up with me before I could ask again, though."

Johnny stared down at the ring in his hands, his expression unreadable. Then he rolled his eyes, let out another laugh, and threw it back to Dallas. "You stole her ring and now you want to give it back to her during a marriage proposal? That's so fucked up... that's so _Dallas_ _Winston_."

"Fuck you." Dallas grumbled, stuffing the ring back in his pocket, feeling a mixture of embarrassment and anger. It was annoying enough that he was proposing. The least his gang could do was lay off with the fucking jokes. "Screw this shit. I give up then. Fuck romance, fuck marriage- fuck this whole thing."

Johnny clapped him on the shoulder, the remnants of mirth still sparkling in his eyes. "Relax, you poor, love-sick son of a bitch. Ya' know how much jewelry that girl has? She ain't going to remember some ring that went missing a year ago. Just ask her."

"Easier said than done." Dallas grumbled.

* * *

Ellie clutched desperately to the beer bottles in her hands, five in total. She had just spent twenty minutes with Penny and Evie, trying in vain to convince Buck to make them something sweeter. All they got from their troubles was the middle finger and an armful of lukewarm beers.

"You look a little nervous, Princess." Penny noted, pulling one of the bottles from the crook of her arm.

Evie nudged Penny, nearly pushing her into the back of an unsuspecting Shepard boy. "Leave her you should be worrying about your own love life. A few more years and you'll b treading spinster territory."

Penny shrugged, unconcerned. From her capris pocket she pulled out her set of keys, a bottle opener hanging from the ring. She popped the cap off her drink. "Just because I'm not constantly hanging off a boy's arm doesn't mean..." She let her words taper off, sending the girls a suggestive look over the rim of her beer as she sipped.

Both Ellie and Evie's mouths fell open, but they were too close to the table to question her further. Two-Bit, Steve, and Johnny were against the wall while Dallas and Tim had their backs facing the crowd A deck of cards were spread out in front of them, placed around empty beer bottles and sitting in their hands. But it seems as if the poker game had been abandoned since the girls had left. While Dallas and Tim conspired- their eyes gleaming and their heads bent slightly together so that they could speak in hushed tones- Two-Bit was animatedly telling a story, cupping his chest as if he was groping imaginary breasts while Steve turned red with laughter. Johnny appeared amused as well, though it was more at Two-Bit's wild gestures than his story. When they caught sight of the girls, Two-Bit immediately dropped his hands back to the table and all three gave them their best sheepish expressions. Ellie had to bite her lip from giggling. She was just glad to see Johnny's mood had improved. It was difficult to let him out of the house when he could barely walk, but maybe Dallas had been right for taking him to Buck's. Hopefully all he had needed was a little time away from his problems.

"I'll pay a couple hundred for it all-" Tim was saying, his words falling short as the girls made themselves known. Dallas twisted around in his seat, a cigarette dangling between his teeth as she flashed her an all too cheerful grin. She narrowed her eyes at him playfully as she approached. It was clear he was up to no good, but she didn't want to argue tonight and honestly, she was going to exhaust herself if she kept worrying about every little awful thing he did.

"Your drinks." She offered, making an attempt to put all the bottles on the table without tipping any over.

"None for me?" Tim asked.

"You weren't here when we went to get them." Evie answered tersely, hopping onto her boyfriend's lap. Tim held up his hands in defense, a grin spreading on his face.

"You can share with me." Penny offered, seating herself between her brother and Tim. She nudged her beer towards him. "I don't drink much anyway."

"You couldn't be more different than your brother, then." Tim commented, picking up the beer and taking a sip. When he put the bottle back down his grin was provocative. "But I bet you both like to have fun, don't you, baby?"

Two-Bit snatched the beer from his grip and nearly tossed it back to his younger sister. "Fun? Penny? She's a fucking stick in the mud, Shepard. Why don't you get your own beer and stop mooching off girls, huh?"

"Relax, Two-Bit." Tim leaned back in his chair, "What are you so scared of?"

But his interest in the Matthew siblings was short-lived, and in the next second his burning gaze was on Ellie as she sat down between her best friend and Dallas.

"Heard you got jumped."

Ellie nodded reluctantly. Honestly, that was the last thing she wanted to think about tonight. She felt Dally's arm snake across the back of her chair and somehow it felt reassuring.

"I was just tellin' Johnny," The Shepard leader went on, "We'll back your boys up in the rumble. These little trust-fund bastards have been screwing around in our territory way too often lately and I'm just itching for an excuse to put them back in their place."

"Enough of this shit." Steve must have noticed the discomfort written on Evie's face. Ellie tried to recall why his girlfriend was so irritable when it came to the darker pursuits of their boys had, but she had to admit she didn't know Evie as well as she liked. "Darry said there ain't going to be a rumble, so that's that."

"There's always a rumble." Tim shrugged. "Whether Darry wants one or not. I'm just saying he better start preparing."

"By what?" Came Sylvia's velvet voice as she strutted up to the table. Even over the girl-group pop playing on the jukebox, her heels could be heard clacking against the hardwood. "Getting more muscles? I don't think that's possible for him."

An excited chuckle burst from Two-Bit's mouth, a stark contrast to the rest of the gang's sobering spirits. "And I was just beginning to get bored! Come to stir the pot, Sylvia?"

Her red lips curved into a smirk. "Of course."

"Then hurry up with it." Penny demanded, not angry but annoyed.

"Well, as much as I'd love to stare at your pained, awkward faces," She turned to Dallas, who was adamantly refusing to acknowledge her. "I want to speak to you."

He flicked the ash from his cigarette into one of the empty beer bottles. "Save your breath. Whatever bullshit you've thought up in that demented head of your's isn't going to work on me."

The smile on Sylvia's face fell. "I'm pregnant."

Ellie was going to vomit. _Oh God_, she struggled not to say the sentiment out loud as she stared frozen at the table top. When she looked up at Dallas he was wearing the same expression she was likely donning- panic. Now she was _really_ going to vomit.

"That'd probably scare me more than him." Tim admitted breezily, sipping on Penny's drink again. Sylvia tipped her head back and let out an elegant laugh.

Two-Bit snorted, and Johnny pinched Ellie's side to ease her nerves. She fidgeted.

"I have to go to the lady's room." Evie announced, staring meaningfully at Ellie as she pried Steve's arms away from her waist.

"I'll come along." Ellie answered, getting up so fast she would have knocked her chair back if Dallas wasn't holding it.

"I wouldn't leave your boyfriend all alone with me, Ellie darling-" Sylvia put her hand on the table to lean against it, "Oh wait! I'm sorry, I forgot you two had broken up. And I was hoping you'd give me a challenge- something fun to play with now that I'm home."

"If you're going to be a bitch, do it somewhere else." Tim told the woman, tilting his head back to look at her. "We're all playing nice tonight, didn't you hear?"

She shrugged. "I guess I didn't get the letter."

"You wouldn't have liked what it said anyway, baby." The grin on Tim's face had somehow morphed into mocking.

Sylvia arched one of her sculpted brows. "How so?"

"Come on." Evie interrupted, tugging on Ellie's arm to get her moving again. They started across the room.

When no one replied to her, Sylvia turned her attention back to Dallas. "See? I knew this would happen. I tried to warn you she'd eventually get sick of you, didn't I? You're just some mistake she'll be too embarrassed to admit when she's married and knocked up by some big-time lawyer."

Dallas had heard enough. He got up and would have smacked into Sylvia if she hadn't reared back. In three long strides he caught up to Ellie and captured her wrist. His jaw was set, his icy eyes burning with determination that dizzied her.

"What-"

"I ain't getting down on one knee." Dallas growled, digging around in his jacket before pulling out a ring. He pressed it into Ellie's palm. "And I ain't the kind of guy that makes stupid romantic gestures, but if you want me to jump up onto the bar right now and ask you in front of everyone, I will."

Ellie rolled the ring up to pinch between her fingers, finding it both unfamiliar and familiar at the same time. It was thin, clean, simple... She had never given much thought to how her perfect engagement ring would look like, but somehow this was it. "...Yes."

Dallas faltered. "Are you fucking kidding? All of east-side Tulsa is here, Els."

"No-" She let out a nervous little laugh, realizing that everyone from the table was still staring at them and very much in hearing range. She couldn't bare to imagine what their faces looked like. "I mean, ask me now. Ask me properly, that's all I want."

Dallas took the ring back, holding it out between them. Even in the dim light it sparkled.

He grinned in that rare, unbridled way. "Will you marry me?"

Ellie slipped the ring into her finger and rose up on her tip-toes to press a sweet kiss to his lips. Out of instinct, Dallas pulled her closer, tasting the giggles that bubbled up her throat. When they pulled away she was flushed and clutching onto him as if she might collapse if he let go, a dizzied smile on her face.

"Cheers to the newly engaged!" Two-Bit screamed at the top of his lungs, standing like a gladiator on top of the teetering table. He brought his beer into the air above his head. "I better be your best man, you poor bastard! Drinks on Winston!"

Dally groaned. "I'm going to kill him."

Ellie leaned up and whispered something in his ear, and suddenly he didn't seem so irritated anymore.

* * *

She was still laughing when she pulled Dallas into his bedroom, shutting the door behind them.

"Els-" Dallas started, only to be distracted as she captured his mouth in another kiss. Her hands slipped under his jacket to explore the plains of his chest, roaming upwards to clutch the collar. Her movements were confident, but the slight tremble of her fingers didn't go unnoticed. Dallas gripped her chin and pulled back slightly. "Els, what the hell are you doin'?"

"Right now?" Ellie smiled, "I'm waiting for you to take me to bed."

Dallas tried to search her face for the slightest signs of uncertainty, but she refused to let him find anything. She had made her mind up hours ago, perhaps even longer than that. Tonight wasn't even close to the right time or maybe not even the right person, but she was so sick and tired of that game. Ellie _wanted_ Dallas, and whatever happened afterward was nothing she couldn't deal with when the time came- _if_ the time came.

When he didn't move, Ellie grabbed his hand and lead him to the bed. She had been hoping he'd take control of the situation; it was quickly becoming apparent that she didn't know all the steps to this dance.

"Ellie, we don't have to do this right now." Dallas warned, letting her sit him on the edge of the mattress. He grabbed hold of her hips. "We can go back downstairs. I can get drunk and you can get harassed by the girls."

Ellie shed her cardigan. "I thought you'd be more enthusiastic about this."

"I'm more confused, to be honest." He grumbled, grabbing her wrist before she could unzip her dress. "What the hell happened between this morning and now that's suddenly made you change your mind?"

"I realized something." Ellie slid into his lap, her thighs on either side of him. She ran her fingers through his hair and scratched gently at the base of his neck.

A frown tugged at Dally's mouth and she yearned to erase it. Why was he hesitating? She wanted this. She wanted him to toss her back against the mattress and _just_... so what was stopping him?

"Realized what?" He pressed.

The smile on her face waned ever so slightly. "I don't think you want to know."

"Ellie." Dallas sat up straight and pried her hands away. Now he was seriously worried. "What? What the fuck happened?"

"Nothing!" She laughed again, as if his reaction was absurd. "It isn't bad, but I know if I tell you, you're going to freak out and-"

"You're not convincing me." Dallas growled, and for a second she was scared he was going to stand up.

Ellie leaned forward and pressed her lips against his, soft and imploring. It was short, but just as she pulled away she was back again, and with each kiss she could feel his resolve soften. When she tried to pull away again, Dallas released her hands and caught the back of her head, deepening the kiss instead. Ellie let out a satisfied sigh as his tongue ran across her bottom lip, her warm breath fanning across his skin.

"I won't be gentle." Dallas warned as he traveled downwards to her jaw, his tongue dipping over the sensitive hickeys that he often branded her with. He cupped her breast through the layers of fabric that still restricted them, kneading rough enough to coax a moan from Ellie's lips.

She arched against his hand, exposing her neck further. "I- I wasn't expecting you to be."

Dallas seared a trail down Ellie's throat and across her collarbone, her pulse thundering against his lips. Her hands went to his hair, scratching his scalp and tugging impatiently at the tufts of blonde by his ears every time he bit down against her skin. Dallas moved back up to catch her parted mouth, rolling and flicking their tongues together as she gripped the collar of his jacket and tugged the leather off his shoulders.

"Off." Ellie begged when they pulled away for breath. He chuckled at her expression when the thick fabric resisted along his arms, her brows knitted and her lip popped in that pout she knew he hated to love. Her blush reddened further when she noticed him staring. "Shut up. Get it off."

Dallas shed his jacket and Ellie made quick work of removing his t-shirt as well. She was silent for a moment, tracing the varied scars written along his chest, the fresh bruises, the tattoo she had drawn out herself. Without warning, she bent down and pressed a warm kiss against the switchblade.

He pushed a stay lock of hair from her face when she straightened. "Els... It's going to hurt."

"I know." She admitted, and another small smile graced her lips. "I'll be okay, Dally. I want this... _really_."

She reached to the side and unzipped her dress, moving to take it off before he stopped her.

"Let me do it." Dallas murmured. He started at her thighs, running his wide, warm hands up along the lengths of her skin. Ellie let out a breathy giggle when he paused to squeeze the plentiful flesh of her rear, fingering the hem of her panties teasingly before he gripped the fabric of her skirt and tugged the dress over her head. Feeling slightly over-exposed, Ellie brought her arms forward to cover herself. She eyed the covers of Dally's bed hopefully, wondering how she could maneuver them underneath.

"None of that shit." Dallas demanded, prying her arms away. Before she could protest he had her bra unhooked, and soon after it joined their growing pile of clothing.

"_Dally_." Ellie whined, wiggling nervously on his lap as he held her arms out of the way. The hunger in his gaze ignited the flame in her already heating belly, causing a spattering of goose-bumps along her body.

"_Jesus Christ_." Dallas swallowed thickly, an intoxicated grin on his face as he cupped her breasts with both hands. He brought his feet up against the bed frame that sat a few inches lower than the mattress, sliding Ellie closer and trapping her there with the front of his thighs. She let out a gasp and gripped his shoulders tight, overwhelmed by both the feeling of his hands on her and the bulge in his jeans now pressed against her core.

Dallas kissed her briefly, Ellie's hands tangled into his hair once more. She pushed up onto her knees as he traveled down to the valley between her breasts, his lips brushing along her soft slopes. She swore she could have become undone right then.

"_Dally_." She called out, begging- for him to stop, for him to _never_ stop, she had no idea what she wanted, but she wanted it badly.

He snarled at the sound of his name, his breath hitting the wetness on her breasts and rewarding Ellie with another glorious jolt of pleasure. Gripping her waist, Dallas twisted them around and tossed her onto the mattress. A second later he was on top, kicking her thighs open with his knee. Gripping his hair, Ellie submitted to another bruising kiss on her swollen lips, fighting back with a quick nip to his tongue.

Dallas covered her in his laughter as he broke away, peeling her panties down her legs. "You're going to regret that."

Ellie was too breathless to form a proper response. All she could do was watch him shuck off his jeans, turning away with embarrassment before she caught him fully exposed.

"You're such a virgin." He snorted, then leaned down and kissed her navel.

Ellie tugged at his hair. "You're supposed to fix that, dumb- _ah_!"

He had bit down on her inner thigh and nearly had her sobbing at the sweet mixture of pain and pleasure. Soon enough she could comprehend nothing but Dallas, the hard grip on her ass, the rake of his fingers on her breast, and that sublime, wonderful, dazzling...-!

"What the hell made you change your mind?"

Ellie's eyes shot open. Dallas was hovering over again, an arrogant smirk playing across his mouth.

"_What_?" She nearly screamed. She was so close! She was so damn close! What was he _doing_?

"What made you change your mind?" Dallas asked again, brushing a thumb against the underside of her breast. "It's got to be something."

"Dallas!" Ellie howled, pounding his chest with her small fists. When her words failed her she began to whine unintelligibly, moaning and sobbing and begging.

Dallas was unaffected. If anything, it served to amuse him further. "Tell me and I'll do it again."

She stilled underneath him, her face burning red. Grinning wider, he dipped a hand down between her hips and pressed ever so softly.

"You bastard!" Ellie moaned, hiding her face in her hands. "I'm in love with you, alright? I love you, Dallas! I love you, I love you, _I love you_! Are you happy now?"

Dallas snorted, and she could feel him slide back down. "I fuckin' knew it."

In the next moment Ellie was shattering into a thousand tiny pieces.

"K-knew it?" She gasped between heaving breaths.

Dallas kissed his way up her stomach and throat. "Figured you would eventually. No girl can resist the ol' Dallas Winston charm."

Ellie rolled her eyes and smiled, caught -once again- between annoyance and humor. She was aware that he had yet to say it back, but that wasn't what she was looking for. The whole reason Ellie had avoided declaring it was so that Dallas wouldn't feel any pressure to respond. She wasn't as naive as she used to be. There were only two responses she had expected from him: either flee, or force himself to admit feelings he likely didn't harbor- may _never_ harbor. But that wasn't the point.

Ellie was in love with Dallas and that was enough.

"Are you ready?" He asked, finally level with her. "Can't go back after this."

Ellie nodded, free of hesitation. Dallas hiked her up by the thighs and pressed a silent apology against her lips as he entered her. Her breath hitched at the unfamiliarity of it, a dull pain blooming in the juncture of her hips.

"_God_, Els." He growled into her neck, pausing only for a moment before starting again. The act of it was- at best- odd, but still she found comfort in him pressed over top her, groaning against her collarbone, seizing the satisfaction she had denied him so many times. Ellie pulled him closer, locked her legs round his waist, let her hands roam across his back in nonsensical patterns and delighted in the muscles that tensed and shifted under her fingers.

"Don't stop, Dallas." She encouraged, leaning forward to kiss him. He tensed, finishing in sharp, teeth-gritted moan. When he slid off to collapse into the bed, Ellie quickly snuggled into his side and kissed him again on his heaving chest. She didn't want him to pull away from her just yet, and if he got up go to back downstairs to the party she would have begged and pleaded for him to stay. But he didn't make any move to leave. All he did was dig into their pile of clothes to find his cigarette packet and a lighter. Ellie grabbed the edge of the blanket and folded it over them as he lit up.

They laid in silence for a while, Dally running his palm over her side and the small of her back.

"Do you regret it?" He asked eventually, when his smoke was nearly burnt to the filter.

Ellie shook her head, her hair brushing against his naked chest. Her feelings towards Dallas hadn't grown stronger as she thought it would. Instead it had solidified. All her doubts and worried were gone for the moment, tossed aside for one peaceful night where she was sure nothing could tear them apart. Yet that wasn't what occupied her mind. She felt different, laying unabashedly naked in his arms, yet completely the same. Still a girl, but not the one that had come skipping into town from Chicago, chipper and sparkly clean. Now she felt dirtier- no, that wasn't the right word. She felt... real._.. S_he felt_ alive._

* * *

**EEEEEEEK SEX. LATE CHAPTER. SEX THO. EW.**

**Enjoy, I guess. I have nothing to say. I'm too embarrassed.**

**Also please review I need your approval for this horrible dirtiness I've sullied your brains with.**


	37. The Way It Was

37.

The sky was soaked in colors; inky blues and rich, fruity pinks that played across the clouds as if an artist had squeezed sloppy globs of paint across the horizon- God perhaps? _Someone's_ God, at least. In a few minutes the sun would poke out from between Tulsa's few skyscrapers and usher in the new morning. Johnny was beginning to understand why Ponyboy was so mesmerized by these moments. It wasn't just the sky. From his perch on the bedroom window sill- one foot dangling in the air and the other levered against the side of the porch roof- he could soak everything in without interruption. A fat raccoon's lonely trek back to the safety of it's home. The icy gusts of wind that set Johnny's hairs on end and warned of upcoming snow- less than an inch and too wet to stick, according to the forecast. The night's gentle static interrupted by the first early-morning workers; one being Darry, who didn't notice his young friend hanging out of the window on his sleepy walk to the truck. Johnny wondered if Ponyboy was also awake, watching the same sunrise. He had been there for about six hours now, and not for the first night either. In between reading Dracula or goofing around with his switchblade, sunset had turned into night and night had turned into sunrise. Ever since his bruised rib had allowed it, Johnny began to avoid his bed. Sleeping had become... difficult. Not so much because of nightmares- though he had plenty of those. It was simply the inability to shut his mind up enough to relax. His soft bed had become rock, his pillows lumpy, Lady's body-heat unbearable. Worst of all he kept seeing things. Every glint in the moonlight were rings, every shadow a figure. Even the air sometimes smelled of expensive cologne and blood. It wasn't real. It was just his mind playing tricks.

Just Johnny going _crazy_.

More likely he had gone crazy a long time ago- somewhere between self-awareness and the start of his father's abuse. There wasn't an exact moment when things had become too far out of his control, but there he was. He could feel intoxicatingly high one moment, and then unbearably low. A permanent anxiousness had settled in him like a hornet's nest. Every stranger gave him the creeps and all the girls looked too fragile to look at. Then there were the thoughts that crept up when he was alone in his head late at night. He had tried to tell someone- Ponyboy and Ellie being his first choices- but there was no easy way to explain.

"I want to sleep." Johnny told the sunrise. "I'm so tired. I just want to sleep for a very very long time and when I wake up I want to be normal again."

Even if he did tell them, what could they do? There was nothing in his life they could fix. He hadn't seen his parents in months, he ate regularly, he had a warm bed and a roof over his head. It was just Johnny.

He felt something cold and wet nudge his back, just under the hem of his shirt. He looked over his shoulder at Lady, who was whining low and staring back up with pleading puppy-dog eyes.

"Hungry?" He questioned, swinging his legs back inside. It was well into the morning now, no better time to start cooking up breakfast. The kitchen was lit with a pinkish-gold hue, bright enough to guide him over to the fridge. He unwrapped a cheap, fatty steak and tossed it through the window onto the porch, then went back into the hall to let Lady out for her breakfast. Smelling the juicy raw meat, Lord came loping from his hiding spot in the den. Lady let out a warning growl as her male counterpart began to sniff around her food, so Johnny tossed another steak onto the porch for the dog, who took it in his maw and disappeared into the yard.

His stomach growling, Johnny positioned their only frying pan onto the burner closest to him and turned the stove on. While it heated, he began pulling food from the fridge. He might as well cook for the rest of the house- Ellie was bound to wake up in the next half an hour for school... if she wasn't distracted, of course.

Outside, Lady let out an excited yelp.

"Quit fighting!" Johnny called out to her, figuring Lord had come back to steal her scraps. It wouldn't have been the first time they had torn into each other. Lady had an infinite amount of energy and was a few pounds larger than Lord, but he had experience. It took ages to pull them apart once they got going.

There was a clicking sound on the porch, too distinct to be a dog's claws. Johnny was torn between avoiding burnt eggs or trying to find out the source of the commotion. Not even Soda came by this early, and his footsteps sure didn't make that noise. Was it Sylvia? That she-beast was always in heels.

The front door-knob rattled. Johnny pushed the frying pan onto an unlit burner and wiped his buttery hands on his pajama pants. By the time he got to the front of the hall, someone was inserting keys into the lock- the wrong ones, judging by the lock's unforgiving hold. He ran a hand through his bed-head hair and swung the door open.

A woman was on the other side. She couldn't have been a day older than forty, with blindly blonde hair and thinly pressed lips.

He was taken aback. "Who are you?"

"Who are _you_?" She repeated snippily. She appeared to be just as shocked to see him as he was to see her.

"I live here...?" Johnny managed to answer as she shoved her way into the hall. "Hey, lady! You can't just come into my house-"

The woman paid him no attention as she stopped in front of the kitchen entrance, scanning inside before moving on to the living room.

"Elizabeth!" She called in a sharp tone, "Elizabeth!"

He moved to stop her, but a hand came up from behind and clamped onto his shoulder. Johnny shuddered violently at the sudden contact, slamming his shoulder into the wall in a desperate attempt to get away. When he turned around, heart pounding in his ears, Danny Carter was staring wearily back at him.

"Shit, sorry kid." He muttered, adjusting the toddler that sat on his hip. "We ain't here to kill you."

Johnny swallowed thickly, clutching the fabric of his t-shirt at his stomach. There was a thin sheen of cold sweat forming under his arms and on his back. For the briefest of moments he had been back on the field, dirt in his mouth and an italian leather boot biting into his spine.

"Elizabeth!" The woman snapped, capturing their attention once more. She was halfway up the staircase and gaining ground quickly.

"Our mother." Danny explained.

A sudden realization came over him and Johnny sprung into action, leaping up the stairs.

"Just leave it!" Ellie's brother groaned after him.

"Hey, lady- Mrs. Carter!" Johnny yelled after the woman, but by the time he got to the top landing she was already standing in Ellie's doorframe.

"Jesus _Christ_, Elizabeth." Mrs. Carter expressed with what could only be described as utter disappointment. She put a kid-gloved hand against her chest for a moment, shutting her eyes, took a deep breath, and then reopened them as if she expected what she saw to be only an illusion. Her hand went to her mouth just as Johnny got to the door behind her.

"Mom?" Ellie sputtered, sitting up in bed with the covers thrown to the side as if she was just about to rise. Dally's t-shirt, draped across her frame, was the only thing that kept her from total nudity. The blood was drained from her face as her mother came further into the room. "Ma, I- I swear, this isn't as bad as-"

The woman's hand shot up so quickly Johnny jumped, believing she was going to strike her. There was tangible fury there, barely restrained by a sense of dignity. Instead she held her hand rigidly in the air to silence her daughter. "Enough, Elizabeth. There are no excuses for this. Do you have any idea what you've done to yourself? To your future?"

"This your mother?" Dallas interrupted. He was leaning up on his elbow to examine the intruders, one hand snaking behind Ellie to grab the carton of cigarettes on the bedside table. He was completely unfazed by the disgusted glare he received from the woman, and if Johnny didn't know any better he'd say the blond J.D. was almost amused. "I'm seeing the resemblance."

Ellie jabbed him with her elbow, nearly knocking the cigarette he stuck between his lips. She had been interviewed by police and had plenty of conversations with her strict, authoritative father, but Johnny hadn't ever seen her so terrified of someone before now.

Mrs. Carter didn't dignify Dallas with a response. Instead she turned to the open closet by the foot of the bed and pulled out one of Ellie's older dresses; long sleeved and cut at a respectable length by the knees. The red capri pants draped over one of the hangers (that Ellie had never worn before) didn't escape her notice, however, and neither did the variety of skimpier dresses and skirts the young girl had dared to wear over the last few months. They were still extremely modest compared to what most girls wore, but Mrs. Carter gave them the same disgusted scowl she had offered Dally.

"Put something _decent_ on." She commanded, throwing the clothing at Ellie. "I want you downstairs in five minutes."

Johnny leapt out of the way as the woman charged back into the hall. The door gave a clipped bang as she shut it behind her.

"She seems nice." Dallas supplied sarcastically, puffing on his first cigarette of the day. "I think she likes me."

Ellie let out a strangled moan and burrowed her face in her hands just as the first signs of tears began to appear on her face. "Oh _God_."

"She could have been angrier." Johnny supplied, leaned back against the back of the door. He didn't know what was worse: hanging up here with his two very naked best friends or going downstairs to join in on what was likely the worst family reunion ever.

Ellie moaned again.

"Grab me those, will you, Johnnycake?" Dallas asked in good spirits, pointing to the mess of clothes on the floor. Johnny grabbed the bundle and deposited it by his friend's legs. The blonde pulled his jeans underneath the covers and managed to slip them on without revealing himself. Then he gestured to the drawers. "Second one down. Grab me a shirt."

Again, Johnny did was he was told. The drawer was sloppily filled with a few clean t-shirts and a couple pairs of underwear. He wasn't surprised; Dallas was here so often that it was a wonder why he hadn't just commited to move in. It'd certainly help with the bills.

While his back was turned, Ellie had shed her shirt and replaced it with the dress her mother had picked out. She slid out of bed and turned her back to Dallas with the open zipper facing him.

"Why is she even here?" She asked out loud, "She hasn't spoken to me in weeks. I thought she was more interested in her new family in Washington than to bother with me anymore."

"You're underestimating the power of Soc parents." Dallas explained in a cigarette-induced mumble, zipping her up. "Mothers like your's live off pride. She wouldn't dare let people think she abandoned her precious babies."

Ellie chewed anxiously on her lip, combing her hair out with her fingers while her mind wandered down to the woman waiting downstairs.

Johnny offered her a meek smile. "Your brothers are here as well. Maybe Danny had something to do with it?"

"God," Ellie dropped her head back in anguish. "Of course he does. I should have known he'd rat me out."

Dallas grabbed the sides of her face and straightened her. He caught her gaze, hoping the collected calm he projected would seep into her. "Relax, princess. She's just going to yell a bit and then it'll be over. What can she possibly do now, anyway? She can't un-"

"Please, shut the hell up." Johnny cut in, giving into the urge to cover is ears. It was bad enough that Dallas had finally managed to taint their pure, precious Ellie. He didn't need a verbal reminder as well. "You're going to make me puke."

The blonde smirked, but refrained from adding any lude remarks- much to everyone's surprise. Instead he rose and stretched. "Johnny, go down and distract them while I sneak out the back-"

"Oh, no you're not." Ellie chuckled darkly, catching him by the back of his shirt. "You got us into this mess, you pervert. You're not backing out now. Anyway, I'm sure my mother would love to meet her future son-in-law."

There wasn't much he could say to that. Grumpily resigning to his fate, Dallas allowed Ellie to lead both boys down the stairs and into the kitchen. The air was heavy with the smell of breakfast. Danny must have spotted the eggs Johnny had started, because when they arrived he was stationed in front of the stove cooking enough for all of them. Mrs. Carter was sitting at the kitchen table, a toddler bouncing on her lap while he ardently clutched a little toy robot to his chest.

"Sam!" Ellie exclaimed, scooping her baby brother into an embrace. The toddler giggled, stumbling on a noise that sounded vaguely like her name as his chubby arms wrapped around her neck.

"You're still around?" Danny snorted as Dallas came into view. "I would have thought you'd beat it by now."

"In your dreams." Dallas shot back easily, moving to the fridge. Johnny caught him reach instinctively for the case of beers at the bottom shelf before rethinking his decision. He pulled out the orange juice instead, setting it on the counter. Closest to the cups, Johnny reached into the cupboard over his head and pulled out six classes, passing the first to Dally.

"Are you telling me you were aware of this?" Mrs. Carter interjected from her seat. "And you said nothing?"

"Our father knows." Danny shrugged without turning away from the frying pan. "That seemed to be enough at the time."

"He does?" Ellie asked, petting Sam's mop of curly brown hair. Her brows furrowed in worry. "What- what did he say?"

Danny shot her a grin. "Oh, he's definitely pissed."

"Nevermind about your father!" Mrs. Carter gestured jerkily to the seat opposite. "Elizabeth, sit down. We need to have a talk."

Ellie sat with Sam held protectively in front of her. The little boy positioned his toy robot on the table and let it wobble in circles, oblivious to the tension settling around the room.

"You sit down as well." Danny commanded, gesturing with his spatula at Dallas and then to the empty chair by Ellie. Then he pointed to Johnny. "Got any bacon? Or even better, start mixing up some pancake batter."

Dally wavered by the counter for a moment but sat down when Ellie shot him a pleading look. He was being as complaint as he could force himself to be, but it was obvious he wanted nothing more than to split. He wasn't the kind of guy that girls brought home to the parents. That fact was obvious to everyone in the room, and he had never bothered to pretend otherwise before. But if _Ellie_ wanted to play this game, there was nothing to do but suffer through it.

"First off, who are _you_?" Mrs. Carter asked, and they were surprised to find her addressing Johnny.

He turned, a package of bacon in one hand and a knife to cut the wrapping in the other. "Uh... Johnny Cade? I live here." He glanced uncertainly at Ellie.

"We're roommates." Ellie elaborated. "Johnny's my best friend. He looks out for me."

Mrs. Carter turned back to her daughter. "Regardless, it's improper for a young lady to be boarding with a male, Elizabeth. Why didn't you tell someone when your grandmother passed away?"

"Are you kidding me?" The young girl exclaimed, then took a deep, calming breath and started again under her mother's disapproving gaze. "I tried, but no one answered my calls."

"You could have sent a letter." The woman rebuttled, clasping her hands together on the table. "You could have made an attempt to come home, or stay with a family friend. There are dozens of family friends in Chicago that would have taken care of you!"

Ellie glanced down at her baby brother, her lips a thin line to stop herself from talking back.

"Now look at you!" Mrs. Carter went on when she was sure she wouldn't get a reply. She gestured around the house. "Look how you live! Where is the furniture, Ellie? Why are there beer cans and garbage all over the dining room? I didn't raise you like this!"

"The gang came over last night-" Ellie hurried to correct her mistake, "I mean, the boys- just a few friends. Father met them when he came to to visit!"

Johnny handed Danny the bacon strip by strip. They exchanged exhausted looks.

"Let me make this clear." Ellie's mother said slowly, "I don't care what your father does or did, Elizabeth. Right now you are answering to me, and I want to know why you would behave so irresponsibly. You were such a sweet, pure girl when you left home! What have you become now?"

Dallas couldn't hold back a scoff. He was slouched in his seat, another cigarette burning in his mouth. Judging by the chain-smoking, his mood was rapidly turning from slightly annoyed to utterly sour.

Ellie reached under the table and grasped his hand to both comfort and warn him.

"Mom, don't you think you're-" She paused to re-phrase her sentence, "You're making too much out of nothing."

"Nothing?" Her mother spat, "Nothing? You live alone with a strange man, you're house is a pig's sty, God know's how you got the money to pay bills! And worst of all, I just caught you in bed with a- a-"

She gestured at vaguely at Dallas, repulsed.

"Well, fuck you too, lady!" Dallas started up from his seat, scowling back at the woman.

Ellie turned even paler, clutching the toddler closer in fright. "Dally, please!"

"No," He snapped, unaffected. He waved his cigarette-wielding hand at Mrs. Carter. "We get it, you think your kind is too high-class for us greasers. But where do you come off, talking like we ruined your daughter? She's perfectly fucking fine, no thanks to you. She ain't livin' with a creep-" He pointed to Johnny, who suddenly felt the urge to duck and hide. "-That's her best friend, and if it wasn't for him your daughter woulda' gotten jumped. He works his ass off at the DX to pay for half the fucking mountain of bills this old-ass house racks up, and your daughter works as a waitress when she isn't frying her brain in school. They ain't robbing banks or selling drugs, which is more than I can say about the rest of your family."

Mrs. Carter couldn't have possibly looked more aghast at his outburst. "Excuse me?"

"Christ, give it up, will you?" Dallas collapsed back into his seat, taking a drag of his smoke and rolling his eyes. "We all know you weren't born with that silver spoon shoved up your ass."

"That's _enough_." Danny interjected, turning away from the stove. His knuckles were white around his spatula. "You don't talk to my mother like that, got it?"

Ellie didn't look happy either. She released his hand and refused to lift her gaze from the table top. "Dally, maybe you should go."

"Go?" Dallas scoffed, "Right in the middle of all this fun? No way. It's not like you're going to stand up for yourself, so someone might as well."

"Elizabeth doesn't need you to make excuses for her." Said Mrs. Carter, "She's smart enough to admit when she's in the wrong."

Dallas looked as if he didn't know whether to laugh or break something. "In the wrong for what?"

"For disobeying every rule we've set for her!" The woman snapped with venom. "For ruining any chance she had at finding a husband- at creating a safe, reliable future for herself! All the time and money we spent moulding her into a proper young lady, only to be tossed away for some teenage fling!"

"I didn't!" Elle cried out, startling the baby in her lap. She was beginning to cry, and Sam followed in quick succession. She pressed his face into her chest to comfort him, speaking in a softer tone now that she had everyone's attention. "I didn't toss anything away, and I didn't disobey you- not really..."

"What could you possibly mean by that?" Mrs. Carter questioned her daughter tiredly.

Ellie turned back to the table. Beside her, Dallas sighed.

"We're... well, sort-of..." Her face was turning from ashen to crimson. "He..."

Dallas snubbed his cigarette in his glass of juice and ran a hand through his hair. "She's trying to tell you that I asked her to marry me and she figured that would be good enough of an excuse to jump in the sack."

"Dallas!" Ellie squeezed her eyes shut, mortified.

Danny took a step towards the table. "I think we've all heard enough from you, Winston. Why don't you just beat it?"

"...Winston?" Mrs. Carter said, all the disgust and horror in her expression suddenly disappeared behind a wall of ice. "A _Winston_?"

Ellie's hand shot out, seeking to grasp her's. "Mom, I-"

She pulled her hands into her lap, out of reach. Their gazes locked.

"Elizabeth, go up to your room right now and start packing."

Her mother's words took a moment to register in Ellie's mind. She stared at her, confused. "Pack? No, I'm not leaving..."

Mrs. Carter sat straighter in her seat. "You have no choice. I'm going to do what we should have done in the first place."

"And what's that?" Danny asked hastily, much to everyone's surprise. He didn't look pleased with the turn in events, though Johnny couldn't fathom why.

"She'll come to Washington for a few weeks until I can find a proper school to take her in."

"Take me in?" Ellie repeated, "Like... like a boarding school?"

"Precisely."

She looked wildly across the room, silently pleading with someone- _anyone_ to object. Dallas was clamped up like a vice, and before Ellie could speak again he had kicked back his chair and stormed through the kitchen to the hall. The front door could be heard slamming, and then a stampede of heavy steps rushing down the porch.

Ellie let out a shaky breath and looked to Johnny, as if he and only he had the power to save her.

"You can't." She repeated, seemingly to everyone in the room. "You can't."

Mrs. Carter let out a sudden snort, a cruel grin spreading across her face. "Can't? Do you really think I'd let you stay here after everything? I married your father and stayed with him for over twenty years just so I could escape this cesspit- so I could be something more than some white-trash, deadbeat's wife. I worked hard for that. I really, _really_ did. I even sacrificed my first-born son to a life of drugs and guns and prison. Thank _God_, my consolation was to have a beautiful baby daughter. I spent fifteen years creating the kind of young lady that a nice, wholesome man would want to marry. So that you'd never have to know what it was like to starve for a week; to have to steal to live; to face your friends with bruises that one man or another inflicted." She leaned in close across the table, forcing Ellie to look at her. "Do you really think I would let you destroy everything I built for a _Winston_?"

* * *

**Went through an emergency (still currently going on) this past few days, so this is all that I ended up writing. I figured it was enough to post so here ya'll go. I'll either expand on this chapter later or the rest of it will be posted in a new chap.**

**Thanks for understanding, and thank you for the lovely reviews! I was super scared about your reactions to the sex scene, and if you didn't like it please, for the love of god, let me know!**


	38. Otherside

37.

_Part 2._

It felt useless going to school after the morning they had, but it felt even more useless to sulk at home, bearing the brunt of Mrs. Carter's glares and Sam's incessant begging for someone to play robots with him. Having just barely convinced her mother to let her go, Ellie followed Johnny down the twisting blocks in sullen silence.

"We'll figure it out." Johnny tried to reassure her just before they parted ways in the hall. "Dally won't let you go, anyhow. Even if he has to kidnap you."

She was hardly convinced, but squeezed his forearm before trudging further into the school. He wouldn't have been surprised if she was heading to a bathroom stall or in the back lot with Two-Bit instead of to class. Johnny would have been right with her if he had a choice, but one more missed attendance and he would be facing a repeat of junior year. He could always quit- really _wanted_ to quit- but every time he mentioned it Ellie would give him her best heartbroken stare and Pony would go on long tangents about the future, and Darry threatened to give him a hard whack over the head. Johnny was too smart for that- _apparently_. For Soda and Steve and Dally it was fine, because there wasn't anything in a textbook that was useful to them. But around the east-side, God gives a kid half a brain and a sliver of hope to make something out of himself, and suddenly he loses the right to throw that all away. Johnny could understand that. It'd be too damn depressing. Didn't mean he enjoyed sitting on his ass and doing the same damn math problems over and over again, all for a slip of paper that told the world he was educated enough to function.

_Not that I'll have much choice after tomorrow._ Johnny thought blackly, sitting in physics class. He was more intent on doodling in the margins of his textbook than listening to whatever the teacher was droning on about. In the very real chance that Ellie _was_ leaving, there was a lot for him to consider when it came to his future alone. As far as he was concerned, it was either quit school and work full time to afford his own place, or move back with his parents. Honestly, seeing his mother again didn't sound so awful right at that moment- another one of his insane thoughts he found difficult to dismiss, and even harder to pick apart.

Someone laughed in the hallway, loud and piercing in the lazy silence that weighed over the classroom. It caught Johnny off guard- but everything caught him off guard lately. He had to pry his fingers away from the edge of his desk, fixing his face to hide the terror written across it. Still, he must have gasped; to his left, Adam Richards, a pimply greaser, gave him a look that grumbled 'get a hold of yourself, man'.

He sunk low in his seat and sighed.

Johnny spent lunch hiding in the library, then bee-lined out of the building the minute the last bell rang. He _should_ have waited for Ellie; he knew that bailing on her was the worst thing he could possibly do right now. But Dallas was likely waiting for her in the back lot anyway and honestly, he didn't have any clue how they were going to convince her mother to let her stay. The woman seemed pretty set, and in the end, Ellie was still a minor. There was very little they could do to get around it.

There wasn't any specific direction he had aimed for. He didn't have work that day, and if anything he should have gone to the library to keep on track with his homework and school projects. Instead he found himself wandering around the town, much like he had before Ellie; when he spent hours at the arcade or the Dingo, or the park, just avoiding home. Only this time he jumped whenever he heard a certain rumble of a car, or broke out into a cold sweat whenever a Soc passed by. He kept his hands tucked into his pockets, both for warmth and to keep his new switchblade in grip.

Johnny kept telling himself to calm down, but there was nothing to do. Every time he stepped outside, every stranger looked like a murderer and empty places gave him the creeps. He was beginning to regret not waiting around for Ellie- or at least Ponyboy. It seemed like he couldn't function without someone to watch his back.

It took an hour to walk into downtown Tulsa. Johnny wandered around for a bit, staring wishfully through store windows selling real _tuff_ clothes. He could use some new jeans, and maybe a few shirts that weren't stained with grease or blood. He wasn't so big on fashion, which meant being a Greaser - really only requiring a leather jacket and a fist-sized glob of hair grease- was both easy on his mind and pocket. When window shopping for himself got boring, he started browsing for the others instead. Christmas was only a month or so away, after all, and while they hadn't ever put too much effort to buy each other gifts before, Ellie had gotten into their heads about the wonders of '_Secret Santa_'.

When the biting cold became too much, he started to make his way back. He passed the arcade, but the games were all so ancient and overplayed that it didn't make sense to waste money playing them again. Maybe if someone had beat his score on _Super Cobra_, but he had been reigning champion in that game for two years and it was unlikely to change any time soon. He did stop to play the _Crane_ machine, snatching up a little stuffed giraffe that he hoped would both distract Ellie and earn him some forgiveness for bailing all day.

Johnny wasn't really that surprised to find himself passing his old house- though he took care to be on the other side of the street. Nor was he surprised to find himself turn around at the end of the block to pass by it again... and again... and again. Eventually he stopped walking and stood stock still in front of the old, dilapidated thing, taking quick note of the dark, lifeless rooms inside. No one was home. His father was at the bar and his mother had taken a later shift at work- he knew this simply because there was no other place they could be. No friends, no family. Just the three of them- or, _two _now, he supposed.

Figuring it wouldn't hurt, Johnny crossed the street and walked up to his porch to get a better look inside. It looked the same... felt the same. The same stiff laundry hanging over the railing, the rusty lawn chair by the door, covered in cobwebs, the boarded up window panel on the left side. The same churning weight in his chest as he stepped onto the porch and dug the key out from under the frayed doormat. The floor creaked under the weight of his boots. He used to know exactly where to walk so that there was not even a whisper of sound, and still did, but there was a weird pride in being able to stomp around freely without feeling as if someone was about to crack his skull open. He even made a good round around the living room, inspecting the old, broken ottoman with a hard look of disdain. The dozen or so whiskey bottles littered around it didn't go unnoticed. His mother hadn't been cleaning them up like she usually did.

"Stupid shithole." Johnny expressed to the empty room, burrowing his hands in his pocket. He wondered what it would be like, coming back- _if_ he could come back. He'd get a good beating first and foremost, then a long tongue-lashing from his mother that would last over a week. The thought made his resolve hardened, his fingers wrapping around his switchblade once more.

Johnny hurried out of the living room, mostly because it was making him nuts again. He thought the feeling would subside in the kitchen, or the bathroom, or upstairs in his parents room (where he stole a handful of his baby pictures found stashed in a tin can under the bed), but if anything it only intensified. Having saved his bedroom for last, it took a few moments and a deep breath to open his door. This was the one room he didn't want to enter; he was scared that some stupid, melancholy memory would pop up and he'd start getting all attached to the place again. He was almost relieved to find the room trashed- at least, worse that it was before. The mattress that made up his bed was torn up, the springs poking out like reeds in a lake. The only other piece of furniture, his dresser, had been thrown face down into the floor. There were three foot-sized holes in the back. Johnny made quick work of heaving it up again, then salvaged the few articles of clothing he found worthy enough to take. Just a few shirts and a jean jacket.

Then he sat down on the smooth corner of his mattress and laid back against the wall, asking himself if he could really go back to all of this. All the sneaking in and out, the screaming, the hunger pangs, the swollen, aching body parts. Living with two people that were supposed to love him, yet couldn't even tolerate his presence.

No. No more beatings for him. If his father, or _anyone_ so much as thought about laying a hand on him, he'd slit their throat. That wasn't some hot-headed bluff, either. He'd do it. In his eyes there wasn't anything that could happen to him that was worse than a beating. He'd kill _himself_, if he had to. He wasn't going home.

Ellie wasn't, either. Not if he could help it.

* * *

Two-Bit found him walking home at dusk. Johnny wanted to yell at himself for freaking out (_again_) when the car pulled up to his left. When he crawled into the passenger seat, Two-Bit was trying to hide a guilty expression.

"Sorry, kiddo." He smiled sheepishly. "They really messed you up good, didn't they?"

"...Uh huh." Was all he could say, flapping the front of his shirt to let the air cool him down. Two-Bit didn't know the half of it.

He was silent as he pulled back onto the road, but Two-Bit was never silent for long.

"Today's been a real shit-show, huh?" He went on, tapping his fingers against the wheel. He glanced at him. "And where the hell have you been, anyway? Nobodys seen you all day. Thought you'd gotten into trouble again."

Johnny showed him the clothes slung over his arm. "Went home- went to my parent's house, I mean."

Two-Bit glanced at him again, neither surprised or expecting. Instead he hummed and nodded, as if he could possibly understand the dumb, crazy thoughts that had lead to Johnny going back to the one place he despised the most.

"Is this about Ellie?" The older boy questioned. "About her leavin'?"

Johnny shrugged. Yeah, it was about that. But it was about... about something _else _too.

Two-Bit clapped him on the shoulder. "Awe, hell, Johnnycake. You know she'll be back. We'll just go and sneak her out of whatever boarding school she gets thrown in."

"Assuming she'd want to leave." Johnny added, knowing school was one of Ellie's top priorities. Running away from boarding school meant not being able to continue her education at Will Rogers- a consequence that she would take very seriously.

"She will." Two-Bit nodded, with all the confidence in the world. "She'll miss us too much - especially Dally, if he let's her leave in the first place."

"Maybe." Johnny conceded, too tired to argue. He leaned his head against the window, finally beginning to feel the ache in his legs from walking half the city. He rubbed his face with his hand. "I really don't want her to go, Two-Bit."

He nodded. "Okay. So stop her, Johnnycake."

It was oddly gratifying to hear those words. _So stop her_. If there was anyone in the world that could make even the most difficult, complicated situations into something easy and simple, it was Two-Bit.

"How am I supposed to do that?" Johnny asked, feeling a fraction more hopeful. He needed to stop hiding away by himself, especially when his friends were the way out of the dark. "Kill her mother?"

"I'll help. Who needs parents, anyway?"

"Say that in front of your mom."

The jokester grinned. "Alright, alright. Maybe that's a little too dramatic. How about we kidnap her? Hide her in Darry's basement."

"They don't even have a basement."

"Attic?"

Johnny rolled his eyes. "No. Two-Bit, you've hung out in that house almost all your life and you don't even know that it's one storey?"

"Whatever, man!" The older boy scoffed, turning into the driveway of the house they were currently speaking of. "Just go and rescue our princess, will ya'? Before her evil step-mom gets a hold of her."

* * *

It was Danny that caught Johnny by the arm as he entered the house.

"Come here." He ground out, his grip tight with anger. Though it didn't seem to be sourced from Johnny. The older boy lead them into the empty dining room.

"You've gotta keep the dogs here." Danny insisted in a quick, urgent tone, keeping a close eye on the open entrance way. "The dogs and the- the bags. I can't afford to take all that shit with us right now."

Johnny shrugged. "Fine, if Ellie stays here too."

Danny honed in on him. "Keep the damn bags safe, Johnny, or else Ellie won't be goin' to a damn boarding school. She'll be going to prison."

He slid out of the room without another word, hurrying down the hall and out the front door. Johnny slid halfway out the doorframe to watch him leave, brows furrowed in confusion. Life was weird, but at least it had presented an opportunity. Maybe this was the way he'd get Ellie to stay.

He flipped into the hall, passing the living room where Sam sat alone on the couch, chattering idly to his robot while Bugs Bunny played on the t.v. As he hiked up the staircase he could hear Ellie and her mother arguing.

"-Leave!" The young girl was shouting as he followed their voices through the upper hall. "I have a life here! I have friends- people I _love_!"

"Life is about sacrifice, Elizabeth." Came Mrs. Carter's more steady tone, speaking as she would to a stubborn ten-year-old. "I'm your mother. I know what's best, even if it doesn't seem like the right choice by your standards."

Johnny slowed as he got to the door, choosing to hang around by the opposite wall of the door than interrupt their argument. It was becoming very clear that nothing they could say would change the woman's mind, anyway.

"What do you expect to do here?" Mrs. Carter went on, coming into view with an armful of dresses. She went to the bed where Ellie sat and placed them beside a suitcase. She began to fold them neatly before placing them inside, her daughter watching with a miserable scowl. "This isn't normal, running around Tulsa without any boundaries or supervision. Girls your age should be worrying about the newest hair trends, not bills. Can you blame me for wanting a normal, wholesome life for you?"

"It's a little too late for wholesome, mom." Ellie mumbled sourly and fell back onto her bed in frustration. "Wholesome fell out the window when half our family got thrown in jail and you sent me to Tulsa to guard a couple thousand dollars worth of guns."

Mrs. Carter straightened and faced her daughter fully. "That was _not_ my fault. I never wanted any of this for you. I begged and begged your father to let me take you to Washington, but he refused. So if you want to point fingers it better be at _him_." She turned back to packing the clothes, forming a neat stack inside the suitcase. "All I'm trying to do is put your life back on track, Elizabeth. The daughter I knew would have been grateful."

"Grateful?" Her daughter let out a bitterly amused huff. "Why are you so convinced I've changed? I'm exactly who I was before, just a bit older- _smarter_. Is that why you're so mad? Because I'm not the same dumb, ignorant little girl?"

"Elizabeth, that's-"

"Well, I guess I'm horrible now, mom!" She continued, her voice growing as she sat back up. "You wouldn't believe all the evil, sinful things I've done! I've drank, I've stolen, I've surrounded myself with the wrong sort. And the worst of the worst, I've slept with someone without being married to him!"

In a fit of anger, Ellie got up and gathered up the clothes her mother had packed in her arm. She brought them over to the dresser, wrenched the drawer open and stuffed the clothes inside. She turned back to Mrs. Carter, glaring at the irritated, tight-lipped expression it received. She was having one of her rare moments of bravery, but Johnny could still spot the tears damming in her silvery eyes. "No matter what you do, no matter what stupid boarding school you send me to, it's not going to change that. I'm still going to be a mess and I'm still going to love him, and there's nothing in the whole world that can keep me from coming back here. So you can stay here and watch me, or you can go back to your weird new family in Washington, but I'm not going with you!"

Ellie's mother stepped towards her daughter, not hostile but firm- resolute. She reached into the open drawer and pulled the bundle of clothes back out, pressing them into her daughter's chest. "You don't have to pack anything, darling, but if you don't you'll be wearing the same dress for the whole drive home."

Both Ellie and Johnny had the same forlorn stares as Mrs. Carter stepped out of the room. He watched her glide down the hall, disappearing down the steps without so much as a glance to acknowledge him.

Ellie flung the clothes to the floor and grabbed his hand, pulling him further into the room.

"Where the _hell _is Dallas?" She cried in a whisper.

"You haven't seen him?" Johnny would have expected the blond to have come wandering back to Ellie by now.

She released him, running her hands through the roots of her hair and then left them perched on top her head as if it could contain her panic. "Oh God, that bastard left, didn't he?"

There was a good chance of that, he had to admit, but there was also a good chance he was out concocting some grand plan to keep her here- or just getting drunk. Instead of answering, Johnny turned to the bed and pulled the suitcase off. It clattered loudly to the floor, followed quickly by Ellie's clothes.

"Come here." He grabbed both her hands and pulled her to the bed, sitting them both down on the edge of the mattress. With his sleeve he wiped away the tears burning down her cheeks. "Dally's around... somewhere, alright? I can bet you he'll show up last minute, punch your mum in the face, and run off with you into the sunset. Everything'll be back the way it was in less than a week."

Ellie let out a tearful laugh, just for his sake. "Okay, Johnny. Sure."

"Really." He went on, slinging an arm over her shoulder. "We've been through worse, right? This is nothing."

She leaned into him, dropping her head on his shoulder and wiping the rest of her tears away with her hand. She sniffed, then replied in a more convinced tone. "Okay, Johnny."

He reached into his back pocket and pulled out a stuffed giraffe with a crushed face. "Anyway, if that bastard doesn't show I got your replacement boyfriend right here."

* * *

Ellie woke up to a palm against her cheek, hot and clammy. Her face furrowed from the abrupt pull from sleep, a hand instinctively moving to where Johnny had laid down beside her earlier that night. The bed was empty, but leaning over her was Dally.

"Wake up, Princess." He called somewhat impatiently, "Come on, now. Wake the hell up."

"I _am_ awake." Ellie pushing him away so she had room to sit up. She flicked the lamp on and the room burst suddenly with light. Dallas sat down as she pulled her legs up to her chest. He was covered in a thin sheen of sweat, his jaw clenched in an attempt to control his rapid breathing. When he moved an arm up to his face to wipe the perspiration away, his sleeve rose to show a long, gruesome scrape along his wrist and upwards.

"God, Dally." She gasped, reaching for his hand to get a better look. She should have been relieved to see him, the one person who wanted her to stay in Tulsa the most, yet his state only made her weary. "What happened to you? Another fight?"

"Naw." He replied, turning away so he could shed his jacket, using his shirt to mop the sweat from his chest and arms before tossing it to the ground.

She watched him wearily. "You look like you ran a mile."

"Ran more than that." He admitted, kicking off the bed to wrench open the a dresser drawer and take out another shirt, then sat back down as he threw it over his head. "Your fucking mother's still here, huh?"

"I told her I'm not going. She isn't convinced." Ellie leaned back against the headboard. "So I hope you have a plan, Winston."

Dallas sighed, immersing his fingers in his damp, white-gold hair to scratch at his scalp. He looked troubled, but for some reason Ellie was beginning to get the impression that his apprehension wasn't for her, and that something even more serious had happened in the hours between now and that morning. She was going to pry further when Dallas took her hands in his, pulling her onto his lap.

"This is my plan, Els." Dally said sedately, holding her by the hips while her arms curled around his neck. Bending down until their foreheads touched, he told her softly, "Grow a pair and tell your mother to fuck off."

"_Dallas_." She complained, slapping his shoulder. "I'm serious!"

He grabbed her backside and hiked her further onto him, a half-assed smirk forming. "Me too. Look, your brother doesn't want you leavin' town and neither does Johnny. If you say no, it's not like they're going to help her force ya'."

"Okay, sure, because it's that simple." Ellie scoffed, kicking her feet out behind him and sitting further on her bottom, forcing his hands up to a more respectable position for fear of being crushed underneath. "Except when it was you and your father in this same situation, you were running around like a puppy with its tail between its legs."

His jaw clenched, icy-blue eyes narrowing in slight irritation. For a second, Ellie thought she may have gone too far- but that damn smirk was still fluttering across his face. A jittery warmth pooled in her stomach at the sight of it.

This was it; this is what she wanted for the rest of her life. To be able to lounge around in bed with Dallas, happy and without a care in the world. To know she'd never have to say goodbye again- to _anyone_. Yet, things hardly every turned out the way she thought they would.

"I'm going to make you regret that comparison." Dallas growled, flipping her onto the mattress. He bent down to catch her squeal of laughter with a kiss, nipping playfully at her bottom lip.

"I'm sorry." Ellie teased, smiling against his mouth, "I mean't to say '_big, scary, ferocious wolf_... with its tail between its legs."

"Better." Was all Dallas said, as if distracted by the taste of her lips. He kissed her again, slowly this time, savoring the way her hips curved against his hands and how soft the skin was on her stomach. Ellie responded in kind, brushing her hands through his hair and down the back of his neck, scratching tenderly with her nails in the places that sent lightning bolts down his spine. His chest rumbled with a growl- then a hiss as the lace on her nightgown caught on the scab forming over his forearm and wrenched painfully at the skin.

Ellie shoved him off to the side, but kept a firm grip on his hand and elbow to inspect the wound. "How the hell did you get yourself so roughed up, Dallas?"

"Just forget it. Doesn't hurt." He pulled the arm around her waist and burrowed his face in her side. His intentions, like usual, were either to sleep or _sleep with her, _but not to argue. Granted, Ellie didn't want to argue either; she just wanted to stop worrying about him. The only time he kept this clammed up was if he had done something particularly awful.

"Dallas, please."

He groaned, his breath tingly hot through her clothing. "Well, since you asked nicely."

"Dallas..." Ellie whined when Dallas didn't continue. She slid back down to be level with him, wound an arm around his upper torso, and pressed a small kiss to his shoulder. "Please, Dally?"

Dallas gave her a half-hearted glare. "No."

She grabbed hold of the hair at the base of his neck and tugged.

"Ah! Crap, woman!" He snarled, pinching her side in retaliation. "What's wrong with you?"

"Tell me what you did, Winston."

Dallas sat up and ran a hand through his hair again. "I scraped it running, alright?"

"Running from what?"

"From the cops, obviously. Ain't no body else I'll run from."

"The cops?" Ellie repeated, rising as well. She caught his chin and forced him to lock eyes with her. "_Why_?"

"I was shootin' the breeze with Tim, walkin' around the town. Saw this blue car parked just a little ways past the track-"

Ellie sighed. "God, Dallas, tell me you _didn't_."

"Of course I did!" Dallas snapped, " Don't fucking look at me like that. I busted that shit car good, and I would have done the owner the same if he'd been around! You think I would have let that go? After everything?"

He scoffed and turned away, the muscles in his arms pulsing as his hands clenched. Ellie felt a twinge of remorse. She could remember how angry he had been the day she and Johnny were jumped- how badly he had wanted to _do_ something but never got the chance.

Ellie dropped her forehead against his shoulder, running a hand along his upper arm where it wasn't bleeding. "Lie down. It's late."

"I'm not here to sleep." Dallas admitted, slipping from her grasp. He crawled over her to get out of bed, shoving his feet into his muddy shoes. "I need to get goin'."

Ellie's brows furrowed. "Go? Where?"

"Anywhere." Dallas shrugged. "You were the closest place to lie low for a bit, but I'm better off finding someplace they're not goin' to look."

"Where?" She repeated pointedly, pulling her legs in as he stepped to the mirror to fix his hair.

Dallas shrugged.

"Great!" Ellie scoffed, loud enough to wake the whole house. "Really great. Don't expect me to be around when you get back, then, because I'll be halfway to Washington with my mother."

He glanced back at her through the mirror. "Don't be like that. You stick up to your mom, I'll lay low for a few days. Ain't the end of the world."

Ellie stared at him for a moment in disbelief. Was he serious? Was anything that ever happened to them as easy as they thought it as going to be?

She slid back down in bed, facing the wall, and threw the covers up past her ear. "Fine."

"Els." Dallas growled, and she could hear his footsteps coming closer. "Quit it."

There was no answer. He pulled the duvet from her face. "You gonna sulk or you gonna kiss me goodbye?"

"I don't want to kiss you goodbye." Ellie told him in a voice that was far too small and watery. "You're not supposed to go anywhere... not after last time."

"This isn't like last time." He tried to roll her over, but she kept squirming further away from him. "Els, seriously."

There was a creak in the hallway- the sound of a footstep on hardwood.

Dallas bent down and kissed her on the corner of her mouth, then retreated through the bedroom window. When he was gone she peaked out, but the room was cold and empty and the lamp had been flicked off.

* * *

**Wow! Look at me, updating on time! Miracle! Astounding!**

**Anyway, some good old fashion depressed-Johnny and Ellie/Dallas in this chapter- or really, half a chapter. Hoped you guys enjoyed it. Nothing too major happened, but it needed to be written! Despite the situation playing out rn, next chapter will be a bit more fun and hopefully we'll be able to see the whole gang hanging out again. But who knows! I haven't written a whole lot of it yet. I'm working on it!**

_**Thank you so much for the continued support and reviews! Glad to hear from some old faces and some new as well! I'm actually very surprised and grateful to see how popular this story is!**_

**Can't wait to hear everyone's thoughts and predictions. Is Ellie really going to leave? Is Johnny going to be okay? Is Dallas going to freaking jail? Let's hope not, for Ellie's sake!**

**Ciao!**


	39. Run

38.

The next morning found Mrs. Carter's brand-new Dodge Dart with slashed wheels and about three missing parts. Ellie stood at the edge of the driveway, luggage in each hand, while her mother grew more and more red.

"This damn neighborhood." She cursed, glancing furiously at Ellie. "And you thought I'd let you stay here?"

Two-Bit, his shirt untucked and a sleeve of his jacket ripped half-off, came swaggering drunkenly by on his way from the Curtis' house.

"Wow." He whistled, pausing to give one deflated tire a kick. "You know, if ya' go down by the DX, they can fix this up real good. They just got a shipment of new parts last night!"

"Thank you, Two-Bit." Ellie dismissed, pursing her lips to hold back a smile. He gave her a wink and wandered past Danny, who was just coming home after disappearing all night.

Mrs. Carter glared at her son, who had the same bleary-eyed, ruffled look as Two-Bit. This was not an unusual state for Danny, having once come home _days_ later and very, very much worse for wear, but their mother's tolerance for it had waned considerably since their life in Chicago. "And where have _you_ been?"

"Relax." Danny told her for what seemed like the tenth time in two days. He ran his hand along the fence as he approached and Lord came trotting over as if he had been called. The young man gave the dog a quick scratch behind the ear. "This city ain't half bad. Don't know why you and dad were so dead-set on leaving."

"This-" Their mother gestured to the car, "-is why!"

Danny turned to the car but didn't move to inspect it closer. "Your car broke down? How is that anyone's fault."

"Someone _did_ this!" She pinched the bridge of her nose and closed her eyes. Held in her arms, Sam squirmed and let out a whining noise, reaching hopefully for the dog.

Ellie took a step back towards the house, saying uncertainly, "I'll call the DX to come pick it up."

When no one made a move to stop her, she flew back into the house and called Soda, but she was too late. Johnny was already hanging up the phone, scratching his stomach from under his shirt and giving his friend a wane smile. "Steve's already on his way- should be here in five. Hey, you makin' breakfast? Pony and Soda want to come over for food 'cause all they got is chocolate cake... Suppose Steve'll be hungry too."

* * *

Johnny, Two-Bit, and Penny were already sitting on the red-head's car hood when Ellie and Pony made it into the back lot. The sun was shining through the clouds, but everyone was bundled up in sweaters and jackets, their breath turning to fog when they spoke.

"He's going to fail the year again." Pony sighed, watching Two-Bit wave eagerly at them. He had recovered very abruptly from his hangover this morning; his method likely being 'hair of the dog'.

"Maybe you'll graduate with him." She suggested halfheartedly.

Pony snorted. "At this rate, my _children_ will graduate with him."

Ellie exhaled a subdued laugh at the thought, but her mind was foggy with worry and it was difficult to fully throw herself into conversation. Pony noticed; he didn't complain but reached over and ruffled her hair viciously. She wasn't quick enough to dodge it, letting out a whine, and retaliated by punching his shoulder.

"Hands to yourself, you two." Two-Bit teased, sliding off the hood. "Don't make me put you in a time-out."

He came up for a bear hug that lifted her off the asphalt. Ellie wheezed, "Seems like you're the one that needs a time-out, seeing as you destroyed my mother's car last night."

"Not me." Two-Bit shrugged innocently, leaving an arm slung over her shoulder as they abandoned the hood to crowd into the semi-warmth inside the car. He pushed his seat forward and helped her crawl into the back with Ponyboy. "I mean, I helped, obviously, but it was _his_ evil plot."

Ellie followed the oldest boy's accusatory finger to the passenger seat, where Johnny was trying to bite down a smile.

"Took a page from Dally's book." He explained, "Though I figured exploding a car was a little too extreme for my taste."

Johnny looked so pleased with himself that she couldn't help but grin back at him. He had a knack for that; making her feel better even when it felt like the whole world was against them.

"So Dallas got locked up." Two-Bit told her, in a way that suggested he had tried but failed to think of a way to break it to her smoothly.

She closed her eyes, suddenly so exhausted and very, very nauseous. All day it felt like someone had stuck a key in her and was twisting and twisting, gathering tension, waiting for her to pop.

Johnny patted her knee. "He'll be alright. We can't really bail him out but he'll probably only be in there for a little while."

"Yeah!" Two-Bit nodded enthusiastically, "I mean, last time I was in it only lasted two weeks 'cause of overcrowding. They're full up to the rafters in Juvi."

Ponyboy, who was less interested in comforting her, or maybe just found that Two-Bit and Johnny had that job covered, flipped casually from his textbook and only added into the conversation when Johnny looked pointedly at him. "Oh! Yeah! He'll be fine! He has more friends inside than he does outside, anyway."

The world was beginning to spin around her. "Let me out."

"What?"

"Let me out of the car." Ellie repeated, shoving at the back of the driver's seat. "Let me _out_!"

Two-Bit twisted around, pushing her hands away. "Why? Where are you going?"

"To puke! Unless you want me to do it in here?"

Two-Bit was out of the seat faster than any of them thought capable. Ellie crawled out after him, ignoring the worried expression on the older boy's face as she turned and hurried across the lot back to the school.

"Els!" Johnny called after her.

The bathroom was crowded by some of it's usual haunts: Sylvia, Sandy, and Penny. They fell into silence the moment she stepped into their line of vision, but Ellie was too sick to care. She made a beeline towards the toilets.

"Hey, Ellie? You okay?" Penny called, "You're looking a little pale."

Ellie leaned over the toilet and puked what little breakfast she had managed to consume that day. It stung her throat and brought tears to her eyes, but it was the only relief she had felt all day. When it was over she flushed the toilet and put the seat down to sit.

"Should we call the nurse?" Sandy inquired in a soft voice. They hadn't spoken since Halloween, but apparently watching her barf all over the lady's washroom was as good a time as any to rekindle their... friendship?

"No." Ellie retorted.

_Click, click, click. _Sylvia's inky black heels could be seen peaking from the bottom of the stall door. "Open up, darling. I want to see how much of a mess you are."

"_Sylvia_!" Penny scolded. Ellie reached over to twist the lock and the door swung open on it's own accord.

Penny, Sandy, and Sylvia peered down at her with hastily hidden disgust. Penny bent and pressed a hand on her forehead. "Christ, are you okay? You don't have a fever."

"I'm not sick." Ellie explained vaguely, feeling as gross as she likely looked and almost ready to puke again.

Sylvia smirked. "I bet you're pregnant. There seems to be a lot of that going around."

"_No_." She dismissed quickly, pushing down the seeds of doubt that the red-haired girl had planted. "I'm just stress-"

She jumped up, lifted the seat, and puked. A hand grasped at her hair from behind, pulling it to the nape of her neck.

"That is so nasty." Sylvia laughed, and judging from the click of her heels, took a few steps back. "Oh god, I think I might start too."

"_Don't_." Penny growled, helping Ellie out of the stall so she could wash out her mouth. "I think you need to head home, kid."

"I don't wanna." Ellie mumbled, a third wave of nausea gurgling up at the thought of what was waiting for her there: an empty closet and an angry housewife.

Penny said nothing as she turned the cold-water tap on at the sink. Ellie rinsed her mouth, drank some to clear her throat, and splashed a few handfuls over her face and neck.

Sylvia hopped up on the sink beside them, somehow light enough not to break the thing off. "She doesn't need to go home. She needs to go to the doctor and take a pregnancy test. Right, Sandy?"

Ellie looked into the mirror and saw Sandy hovering nervously against the opposite wall. A blush had spread across her face, her eyes cast down to her feet.

"It's stress." Ellie snapped, "I'm not pregnant, Sylvia, though I know how delighted you'd be at the thought of it."

Sylvia put a hand on her chest as if she was insulted. "Elizabeth! Please! How could the thought of you being pregnant with Winston's gross little hood baby make me happy?"

"Enough." Penny interjected just as Ellie was gathering the strength to yell back at her. "That being said, Ellie, are you sure there isn't a possibility? I know you're going through a lot of things right now with your mother and Dallas, but I don't think it's very common for people to puke just from stress."

"I'm. Not. Pregnant. " Ellie ground out, pulling out of Penny's grasp to lean against the brick wall by the sinks. She wasn't pregnant. She could not be pregnant. Not right now, not _ever. _Out of all the ridiculous, stupid things that had happened and could happen in her life, getting pregnant as a teenager just could not be one of them. Anyway, they were careful. Dallas was careful. She thought so, anyway... that wasn't exactly something she paid great attention to.

_I am not pregnant. _

"Too bad..." Sylvia sighed wistfully, "You could have had a buddy, Sandy."

"Please," Sandy begged with her teeth grit. When she looked up at Sylvia, her eyes held more hate that Ellie thought she was capable of expressing. "Please, _stop it_, Sylvia. This isn't a joke."

Ellie's stomach flipped, but this time it wasn't the nausea. "What? What isn't a joke?"

"Don't you dare." Sandy warned Sylvia as the red-haired viper's mouth opened to answer. "She'll tell him! You can't!"

Sylvia rolled her eyes. "Don't be hysterical. She probably already knows. We haven't exactly been subtle about it."

"What?" Ellie asked again, but the answer was already fluttering into her mind like a fly to a spiderweb. Her gaze turned down to Sandy's stomach, where her hand rested protectively. "Oh _Jesus Christ_, Sandy."

The hatred in the girl's eyes bloomed until it was written across her whole face. "And who are you to judge me? You're not exactly a saint, Ellie."

"Is it Soda's?"

Sandy didn't answer right away. Suddenly anger and shame looked like two sides of one coin. "Maybe."

Ellie knew right then and there that it wasn't Soda's. She shook her head, sick again, but not out of stress. She hated Sandy. She really, really did. Maybe she came from a bad home. Maybe she felt as if the only way to feel better was to seek attention from other men- lots of other men. That, she couldn't blame her for. If there was one lesson Ellie had learned living on the east side was that people had to do whatever they could to survive, and even more to find happiness. If Sandy wanted to sleep with all of Tulsa, that was her choice. But she never had to drag Soda along with her. _That _was unforgivable. And now what? Soda was too forgiving. He was going to take care of that child, regardless of whether it was his or not. He'd probably ask her to marry him. He'd throw his whole life away for someone who only wanted company in her misery.

"You're going to tell him." Ellie went back to the sink and took another drink before switching the faucet off. "You're going to tell him the whole truth, everything. Or else I will."

Sandy watched her cross the bathroom towards the exit. "This is none of your business, Ellie."

She wanted to turn around and laugh in her face. Not her business? Since when did that prevent anyone from budging into people's problems? No, Sandy's little game had gone too far, and Ellie wasn't going to stand by while her friend suffered for it. She had half a day left in Tulsa, and if she had to spend that time knocking some sense into Soda's head, then at least she'd be able give back a fraction of the help they'd provided for her in the past year.

"Fine!" Sandy's hand was suddenly clutching Ellie's shoulder, holding her back. Her big, doe eyes were rimmed with tears, "Fine! I'll tell him! I will, I promise! I just need some time- just a little time to figure out what I'm going to do!"

Ellie turned back to her. "What you're going to do?"

"This isn't so simple, Els," Penny came to stand by Sandy. Ellie couldn't quite understand why she was defending the girl. As Two-Bit's sister she had known Soda longer than anyone in that room. She should have been just as mad as Ellie, yet her gaze softened when it fell on Sandy. "Forget Soda for a moment. I'm not saying what Sandy did to him was fair, but at the end of the day, it isn't him that suffers the most."

Ellie crossed her arms over her chest, but didn't reply. For a fraction of a moment she wondered if there really was more to this than she thought. The girls took this as a sign to continue.

"Put yourself in her shoes for a moment. We all make mistakes, Els. The past is the past." Penny straightened. "Imagine, right now, that you're sixteen, you're pregnant, and you're alone. Your life is over. You _know_ that warrants a little mercy."

The tears damming in Sandy's eyes spilled over in wet trails down her cheeks. She reached over and untangled the other girl's arms, grasping one of her hands. "Please Ellie, _please_. I just need time."

Ellie sighed. "Fine. But Sandy, if I hear you're still torturing torturing Soda, after all this... I don't care where the hell I am. I'm going to come back and strangle you with my bare hands."

From the back of the washroom, Sylvia let out a cruel, musical laugh. "A threat! From our little Ellie! Our little birdy is leaving the nest!"

When Ellie slipped back into the back seat of Two-Bit's car, she was greeted by odd, stiffened stares.

"What happened?" She inquired, glancing around the parking lot. Had something happened with the Socs? They kept getting braver and more troublesome each day.

"Nothing." Johnny mumbled, looking her over in a way that suggested he expected her to come back injured. "How are you feeling?"

Ellie shrugged, leaning back into the seat and contemplating whether or not to go to her next class. "A little better, I guess."

* * *

"Do not cause a scene, Elizabeth." Mrs. Carter warned, emerging from the car after strapping Sam in. Ellie's suitcases filled up the trunk and lined the floor of the back seat, a stuffed handbag still clutched in her hands, waiting to be packed as well.

"Just shut up, lady." Steve grumbled, his trunk-like arms crossed over his chest. The whole gang was standing together by the fence along with Evie, Sylvia, Penny, Angel and Kathy, to see Ellie off. Dread was so heavy in the air it was almost tangible, though Two-Bit managed to keep a half-smirk dancing on his face.

"Excuse me?" Mrs. Carter scoffed, glancing over at her son for support. Danny had appeared early that morning, hungover _again_ and smelling like the back alley of a bar. He was leaning on the car hood waiting to take off. Sucking miserably on his cigarette, he shrugged and waved his mother away dismissively.

Ellie was crying. She had begun as the last of her bags had been packed and hadn't stopped since. Johnny wasn't any better, following her around all afternoon like a lost puppy, wanting to glean every last second of every minute with her. They had clung to each other desperately, and even then, on the curb, their hands had to be pulled apart so she could say goodbye to the rest of the boys.

Soda was first. He hugged her tight and petted her hair, mumbling in her ear, "Don't worry kid, we've got your back."

"Take care of your brothers." Ellie told him, hugging him just as strongly. God, she loved Soda. Soda was like everyone's cool brother, the one that let you do whatever you liked and didn't judge you as long as you were being safe. He trusted everyone and everyone trusted him. He didn't deserve scum like Sandy, but that just seemed to be how the world worked. She added pointedly, "Take care you _yourself._"

She went down the line, hugging Evie, who had very little to say but looked as if she might cry. Then went Penny, who promised Ellie's job would still be there when Two-Bit kidnapped her and brought her back, and Two-Bit, who made her promise to leave her bedroom window unlocked so it would be easy for him to grab her.

Steve unraveled his arms as she came up to him. "You won't mind if I dig up a certain something and sell it, right? I mean, you won't need it."

"No, Steve. Not happening."

He smiled mischievously, kissed her cheek, and ruffled her hair. "Sure."

"No, Steve." Darry repeated for Ellie, having overheard. He shot a stern glare at Steve before pulling Ellie into a hug so tight it nearly left her breathless.

"I'm going to miss you, you elephant." She giggled softly, throwing her arms around his waist. "You'll take it easy, won't you, Darry? Don't work too much, don't stress too much-"

"Don't worry about me, kiddo." He said, looking down at her with a rare, easy-going smile that he must have worn much more before his parents had died. "I'd hold down the fort until you get back."

"And I'll give Dally a good kick in the-...butt when he gets back, too." Ponyboy assured, puffing out his chest. "Straighten him out for ya'."

Her tears had stopped momentarily while she had gone down the line, but at Ponyboy they sprouted back up again, running down her cheeks like raindrops. She felt the same way about leaving Ponyboy like she had when she had to say goodbye to Sam in Chicago.

"Stay out of trouble, Pony." She said, "Don't just eat chocolate cake. You have to eat vegetables too or you'll grow up all pudgy."

"Never." They tussled for a moment, both trying to ruffle each others hair as hard as possible, but then somehow they ended up in a hug that felt entirely too final. When they pulled away, Pony was furiously wiping at his own face with his sweater sleeve.

Sylvia was last. They had both avoided this moment, but now there was almost no one left but Johnny.

"I'll keep Winston nice and warm for you to come back to." She promised, but Ellie could she was only saying it to have something to say. She had her arms stuffed in her coat, standing a full head taller than Ellie, all red and fiery and beautiful. Despite everything, Ellie was glad she had come to see her off.

"Please don't." Ellie requested, but didn't feel so worried. Sylvia pulled her into a quick hug and then started on her way home without another word to her or anyone else.

Mrs. Carter cleared her throat. "Are you finished? We need to leave."

Johnny came up to Ellie and enveloped her in one last hug. He was so soft and welcoming, she noted, but he only had a jean jacket on and he felt so much like ice that it seeped through the fabric of her jacket. She thought about what would become of him without her there. Not for the first time she remembered him face down in the empty lot, covered in his own blood, wheezing for breath. Or when she and Two-Bit had found him after his father had beaten him so badly he could hardly get up from the broken mattress that served as a bed. Every time he had threatened to quit school; every time he had given her that _look: _the one that made her blood run cold- that made her wonder if he'd still be there when she woke up the next morning.

When she pulled back a little and caught his eye, that same look was on his face.

"Johnny?" She whimpered, tightening her grip on the back of his jacket, "You know I love you, right?"

A small, melancholy smile graced Johnny's face. He pulled her in again and they held onto each other desperately. "I know. I love you too, Els."

"You better take care of yourself." Ellie mumbled, her face pressed into his shoulder, soaking his front with her tears. "You have to promise you'll take care of yourself."

She could feel him nodding. "Everything will be okay, Els."

"It's time to go, Elizabeth." Mrs. Carter pressed from behind her.

Ellie sniffed and made to pull away, but Johnny refused to release her. When she looked up at him, streaks of tears were glistening against his olive face.

"Oh, Johnnycake..." This was the first time she had ever seen him cry. He was always so kindhearted that it was hard to remember just how strong he was until he broke. She reached up to brush away his tears, but the sight of him was too much and her own crying heightened ten-fold.

"I don't want you to go, Els." He admitted, burrowing his face in her hair. "I don't know what to do without you."

She felt the same. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn't picture a day without Johnny by her side. It felt like a part of her was breaking away- a part of her _soul_. A desperate feeling overcame her, as if there wasn't anything in the world she would give up to stay there with him -not her mother, not her brother or father... not even Dallas. As long as Johnny was still there, the world would always turn.

She swallowed thickly. "I'm not going, then."

"You are, Elizabeth." Her mother snapped. "You can either get in the car by your own accord, or your brother can drag you inside. That's your only choices."

"I'm not going." Ellie repeated stubbornly, louder, clinging tighter to Johnny.

Mrs. Carter turned expectantly towards her son, who shrugged, sighed, and then pushed off the hood of the car, stepping heavily towards Ellie.

Johnny pushed her behind him.

"Danny, I'm not going." Ellie repeated again, glaring defiantly over her friend's shoulder.

Danny stopped a few feet away. He seemed more tired than dangerous, but even in his weakened state he was still over a foot taller than Johnny, and _big_. He flicked his cigarette butt down and crushed it under his heel, then waved his younger sister over. "Come on, Els. No more games."

She shook her head vehemently. If there was a way out, it was her brother. She could see it in his eyes; the reluctance. He had their father's eyes.

"Do I have to count to three?" He scoffed, taking another step towards them.

"Don't." Johnny warned, stiffening under the coming threat, readying himself for a fight. Behind him, Ellie worried her lip.

Danny glanced at him, eyes narrowing. There was a certain accusation in Johnny's words that chewed at his pride. "Don't _what_? That's _my_ sister, Cade, _my_ blood."

They glared at each other, two young men who had gotten along perfectly fine only a half hour ago. Ellie began to feel doubt creep up on her. Danny wasn't going to hurt her. She knew that. But he didn't have any qualms about fighting Johnny. Behind them the rest of the gang was beginning to feel uneasy as well.

"Let's take a step back." Darry suggested, coming up behind Johnny and placing a hand on his shoulder. Standing over six feet tall and built like the toughest of football players, he was a better match in a fight with Danny. But at this point, with the other boys shifting anxiously on the sidelines, it was beginning to look like six against one. Ellie didn't want to see her brother beaten either.

In the end, none of them made the final decision.

"Elizabeth Carter," Her mother held the back door of her Dodge Dart open, "If you're not in this car by the time I count to five, I'll call the police. I'm sure you're friends will have a wonderful time in prison for kidnapping."

Danny found Ellie's gaze through the two men. He waved his hand again. "Come on."

"One." Her mother began.

Ellie pressed her face into Johnny's back, inhaling deeply. He smelled like cigarettes and the generic soap that sat in their shared bathroom.

"Two."

"Bye, Johnnycake." She whispered, reaching down to squeeze his hand.

He held on tight when she rounded him, stepping towards her brother.

"Els," His fingers shook against the back of her hand, but his grip was true. "Els, you don't have to do this."

"Three."

She came and kissed his cheek. When she pulled back a smile graced her face. It wasn't a grand smile- it wasn't even a real smile. But Ellie's grins had a way of brightening the world, even if it was a simple twist of the corner of her mouth.

"What's the big deal, anyway?" She asked, swallowing her tears, "I'll be back before you know it, right? You'll all come save me, right?"

Neither one of the believed it, but Johnny found himself nodding. No, they weren't going to rescue her. America was a big country with thousands of boarding schools. Even if they did get her, what good would it do to bring her back? Her mother would know exactly to find her again.

"Four."

Ellie turned to flash the same smile at Darry, then pulled her hand from Johnny's. Reaching behind her, she pulled the sky-blue ribbon from her hair. Waves of chocolate locks fell down to her shoulders.

"A reminder." She told him, wrapping the ribbon around his wrist, tying it in a bow. "You boys better not forget about me."

Behind them, Two-Bit gave her a grin of his own. "No way in hell."

"Come on, Els." Danny placed a hand on her back and lead her to the car. As she was shuffled into the back seat, Mrs. Carter slid into the passenger seat. Danny gave them a long look and a sudden nod, and then he was in the car as well.

They watched the Dodge disappear down the road. Then the girls began to drift home, soon followed by the rest of the boys. Johnny didn't move. Ponyboy stayed with him a little longer, saying nothing as they watched the empty street. Ellie and Johnny weren't blood. They weren't lovers. But there was something undeniably more meaningful about their relationship. They were more than best friends. Johnny and Pony- _they_ were best friends. Ellie and Johnny were one soul, split in half. There was no words in any language in any country in the whole world that could console a person that had just lost their other half.

"If I was Dallas..." Johnny dug into his jacket for a cigarette. "If I was Dallas- if I was as brave as him, she'd still be here. But I'm not him, am I? I'm just Johnnycake. I'm just everyone's sad, lost puppy." He ignored the tears burning down his face, just another thing to be ashamed about. He lit his cigarette, took a drag, and passed it to Pony when the taste sat too bitterly in his mouth. "I should have fought harder."

"If you were Dallas," Ponyboy replied, "You'd be in prison and you wouldn't even get to say goodbye. And if he _was_ here, then we'd all end up in prison as well."

* * *

Ellie sat twisted around in her seat, staring out the back window. She had Johnny's stuffed giraffe gripped against her chest, Dally's class ring clutched in her other hand. She had watched the sprawling city of Tulsa slip away with tears burning like acid along her cheeks, dripping down her chin and soaking the front of her dress. Now it was dark and the road was flanked by long acres of farmland. In an hour or so they'd be out of Oklahoma.

"Sit down properly, Ellie." Mrs. Carter demanded, but her words fell on deaf ears.

She should have left Dally's ring back home; what use did she have for it now? They were both drifting apart by the minute- maybe not emotionally but physically. By the time Dallas got back from juvi she'd be a distant memory in everyone's mind. He'd probably go back to Sylvia. But no matter what Ellie told herself, she didn't have the willpower to leave the ring behind; even with her engagement ring still sparkling on her finger.

Ellie choked down a sob. She hadn't ever felt this lonely before; never felt so lost and betrayed. Not even on the day she had left Chicago.

Somewhere along the road she succumbed to exhaustion and slept, dreaming of the boys playing football at the park, of her dogs weaving between their legs, of Johnny's smile and the heavy warmth of Dally's arm slung over her shoulder.

She woke to a neon sign illuminating the interior of the car. Sam was still sleeping heavily beside her, a blanket spread across his small form and his toy robot still clutched in his chubby hands. The air was heavy with gasoline.

Her brother was wrenching the door open by her feet.

"Grab what you can carry." Danny demanded, roughly grabbing her arm to pull her out. "You want to go back there so badly? Then you better hurry the hell up."

She scrambled to grab her handbag and let him lead her across the gas station. The man filling their car gave them a curious glance through the corner of his eye, but said nothing.

"Where are we?" Ellie whispered, "Where's mom?"

He brought her to the side of the station's garage and pressed her against the wall, covering his sister in shadows. Then he reached into his pocket and handed her a few bills. "She's the washroom. We're just outside Buffalo. When the cars gone, you're going to call a cab and head back to Tulsa- not to the house, though, you understand? Lay low at one of your friend's houses."

"Why are you doing this?" Ellie asked, her heart pounding from both the sudden sharpness of the cold night and the spark of hope her brother was igniting. _Home_. She was going home!

"We need a Carter in Tulsa- someone we can trust- especially when half the evidence against us is buried somewhere in the city..." Danny glanced anxiously around the corner of the garage. "And father was pretty pissed at the thought of you livin' with mom."

"He knows?"

Danny flashed a grin down at his sister. "He knows. You think prison is going to stop him from watching over his precious daughter?"

Before she could ask anything further he striding across the gas station back to the car. Ellie watched around the corner as he arranged the blankets and her bags into a human-shaped lump in the back seat, then waited for their mother before turning back into the highway.

* * *

Johnny was watching television. He'd been watching for eleven hours, give or take bathroom breaks and trips to the fridge for coke. Lady and Lord served as blankets around him, fighting off the cold. The thermostat wasn't working. Neither was his head. It was five in the morning and he hadn't even yawned yet.

The front door slammed open. The dogs leaped into action, their hackles raised, their teeth bare. Johnny scrambled for the switchblade on the coffee table.

Ellie raced into the threshold, dumping a single bag onto the floor, the stuffed giraffe following it soon after. Her face was wild; her gaze, so naked and sincere, sent his pulse racing. "Let's run away, Johnnycake."

"I want to see the ocean." He replied without missing a beat.

"Atlantic?"

"Why not?"

* * *

**I seriously debated whether or not to send Ellie away for a little while, at least until Dallas got back, but writing about her at boarding school or with her mother sounded a little like I was staying too far from the plot and the characters of the Outsiders. So Ellie comes back- to grab Johnny! And they're off on their own fun adventure! Also some handy-dandy setting up for Sandy and Soda. Not a whole lot of Dallas until a little later, though.**

**We're nearing the end, my friends!**

**I can't wait to hear from you all! XOXO!**


	40. Carry On

39.

Johnny woke up with his hands and feet frozen numb. He released a great shiver as an icy wind blew against his exposed back, then sat up a few inches to take a better look at their surroundings. Their little strip of forest had shed it's autumn leaves, spreading them out across the ground, brown from rot and stiff from winter. He kind of wished it had snowed; it would have been a much prettier sight to see the branches covered in white rather than bare and ghostly in the morning mist.

Bundled against his chest, his jacket slung half-over her's, Ellie shifted and yawned. They had walked to the main road last night, hitching a ride with a stern-faced cowgirl verging on fifty. She drove them as far as her farm and they walked as far as they could manage from there. It seemed to be a miracle when their magical little forest appeared in the distance, just as their legs began to give out and a fine spray began to fall from the clouds above. They found refuge in the crook of the willow tree, clutching desperately at each other for warmth.

"What time is it?" Ellie mumbled into his arm.

Johnny brought his hand up to check his watch, relieved to find his fingers hadn't turned black. "Eight- almost eight thirty. Pony must have found the note by now."

"I hope they take care of the dogs." Ellie sat up with him, adjusting the jacket so that it wouldn't slip over her shoulder. A leaf was caught in her hair, dirt sprinkled against her cheek. "They know dogs can't eat chocolate cake, right?"

"The dogs'll be fine." He reassured her halfheartedly. He was more worried about getting them out of the cold. They both had the better half of their paychecks in their pockets, so money wasn't currently a problem. What he had to figure out was where they were, exactly, and how far the next town was. He wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled them both up. "We gotta keep moving if we're ever going to make it to the ocean."

Johnny untangled from her so that they could walk easier, smirking gently at the smile spreading across her face. She was awfully cheerful for a Soc that had spent the night outside. Johnny was used to this kind of thing; a large chunk of his life was spent on the street rather than at home. He was used to sleeping at parks or on the sidewalk, used to the gnaw of cold nights, to the growl of hunger in his gut.

"Right. The ocean." Ellie hummed, buttoning up her jacket and burying her hands in her pockets. "I was thinking... we could go down through Texas to the Gulf of Mexico... or cut down to Louisiana down to New Orleans."

Johnny nodded. He could bet it was still warm down there. Maybe after they could go down to Florida- see Miami. Lot's of beaches and bikinis. These thoughts occupied his mind as they trekked along the highway, sticking their thumbs out when cars zoomed by. Eventually a Volkswagen van stopped for them, pale green with the words "Peace and Love" painted in orange bubble-letters across both sides. Ellie wavered slightly as the door slid open, inching closer to Johnny. She hadn't hitchhiked before, either.

Two women, no older than twenty waved them inside. They wore long skirts that grazed their ankles, long beaded necklaces running down the front of their blouses. One girl wore suede boots with flowers embroidered along the side while her friend was barefooted. Both of them wore such flimsy, old jackets, it was a wonder they weren't frozen solid.

"'Morning, darlings." A long haired, blonde said, ushering them inside. "You look like you could use a ride."

The inside of the Volkswagen was draped in earthy fabrics. The seats had been removed and a mattress laid down, cushions pressed against the frame to add softness. The smell of incense lingered on everything, but the smell of skunk was even stronger.

"Thanks for pickin' us up." Johnny told them. The man sitting in front of the wheel turned around to nod, smile, and flash him the peace sign. Something akin to a cigarette was nestled between his lips.

Johnny had to hold back a sigh. Hippies were still a rarity in Tulsa, though they were growing in popularity everywhere else. The only hippies he ever saw back home were usually getting their asses handed to them. They didn't have friends on either side of the tracks; the Socs didn't like them because they stood for everything the Hippies preached against. The greasers didn't like them because they were idealistic and gentle-hearted and weak in a world that was nothing but ugly and violent.

Johnny didn't hate them, but he couldn't help but be a little exasperated. They were like children with their heads stuck in the clouds.

He hadn't noticed Ellie begin a conversation with the girls. They sat in a half circle, chatting amiably as girls do when first meeting each other. He smiled at them and nearly laughed; sitting there, graciously listening to the hippy girl's views on politics, Ellie could have easily been a hippy if she hadn't been a Soc- or, in looser terms, a greaser. She too, was very nearly a child with her head stuck in the clouds. At least, she used to be.

"Oh!" Ellie caught his gaze and then turned to grin sheepishly at the girls. "I forgot. My name's Ellie and this is Johnny."

The two of them acknowledged him with two sets of hazy smiles. The barefooted brunette reached over and patted his arm. "Groovy hair."

"Thanks." Johnny replied weakly. Usually people just told him to get a haircut.

"My name's Anne, this is Joan, and up there in the driver's seat is Jacob." Anne, the brunette, stretching her arms up as far as they could go in the van's confined space. "So what's the story? Run away from home?"

Ellie and Johnny exchanged a look. What could they say? That they'd dropped everything- family, friends, responsibilities- to see the ocean? Somehow that didn't seem to be a reasonable explanation.

"Can we guess?" Joan requested when they didn't reply. She didn't seem to be mocking them, so Johnny shrugged. There was no harm in letting them think what they wanted, accurate or not.

Anne reached out and grabbed Ellie's hand between her's, squeezing it gently as her eyes drifted shut. She hummed thoughtfully for a moment. "You two are very close..."

Johnny held back a scoff. Did she think she could read her mind?

"You're having problems with your parents..." Anne went on, "They were being very selfish, thinking only of themselves... they wanted to tear you two apart..."

Joan let out a squeal of excitement. "You're eloping!"

"I was getting to that." Anne sighed, cracking an eye open. She smiled at them once more. "You two are going to be together for a very long time. I can tell."

Ellie laughed, and though it sounded genuine to the girls, Johnny could hear the disbelief in her tone. She grabbed entwined their fingers with her free hand and beamed up at him. "I hope so."

Johnny couldn't help but get a little red behind the ears. The smells in the van were beginning to get into his head.

"Where ya' headed?" Joan asked, grinning slyly at them. "Vegas?"

"You can just drop us off at the nearest diner, actually." He requested, ignoring Ellie's pout. Leave it to her to get attached to three stoned hippies in a van.

"Alright." Anne sighed, looking as put-out as Ellie. "I guess it's for the best. We're going to New York, anyway. Vegas is the other way."

They drove for another half-hour. The girls told stories from both life back home and life on the road. They were following some folk singer Johnny had never heard of, living out of the back of their van. Joan and Jacob were twins and Anne had been a close friend for years. After Jacob burned his draft card and became the shame of his conservative family, they ran off to DC to join the protests.

Johnny didn't like to think about 'Nam. He had bigger, more immediate problems to deal with. Anyway, with all this protesting going on, he doubted the war would still be going by the time it became a problem for him or any of his friends.

"It was very nice to meet you!" Ellie told the three of them as they slid out of the van. They were being dropped off in a road-side town about the size of a large farm. On either side of the highway was what would be considered the main town: two rows of squat, bare-boned buildings.

"Take care of yourselves." Anne requested earnestly, grabbing both their hands this time and squeezing them. "You've got a long, difficult road ahead of you, but your future burns brightly!"

After Ellie had thanked the girl, she retreated and Joan took her place. She slipped a thin leather cord over Ellie's head and wound another one around Johnny's wrist. A wooden bead a little smaller than a penny was strung along the cord, a peace sign carved into the green-dyed wood.

"A token of friendship and peace." Joan explained as they examined their gifts.

Ellie clutched the bead in her hands. "I wish we had something to give back!"

The young hippy shook her head and flashed them the peace sign. "Live happily and purely, my friends. That is a gift for the whole world to celebrate."

Ellie and Johnny turned to walk into a small mom-and-pop restaurant as the van chugged slowly back into the main road. It was only when they were far enough away did Johnny begin to laugh out loud, Ellie following soon after.

"What kooks." Johnny snorted as an older lady lead them to a booth by the back. They sat down opposite each other and pealed open the menus already placed on the table.

Ellie scanned the list with an amused smile. "That's true, but they were awfully nice. I wish we could have stayed with them a little longer."

"And become hippies ourselves?"

A different waitress, a young girl no older than thirteen, came back to fill Ellie's cup with coffee and take their orders.

"Why not?" Ellie inquired with a casual shrug as the waitress left. She poured a little cream and a few heaping spoonfuls of sugar into her drink. "Seems like everyone's becoming one anyway. I couldn't tell you how many there were in Chicago."

Johnny, a hippy? Somehow it felt as if he would be betraying the gang. He puffed out his chest for show and looked at her with determination. "I'll be a greaser 'til the day I die."

She giggled and sipped her coffee. "Figures. Still, we could have caught a ride with someone much fouler."

"We won't always be so lucky." Johnny admitted, reminded of all the creeps he had ever encountered from hitch-hiking across town. He was glad that he was with Ellie, though he doubted she would have left without him. At least this way he could protect her- admittedly he'd never been very good at that. "Anyway, all that pot smoke can't be good for you."

Ellie didn't look concerned. She stirred the teaspoon around in her mug, clinking gently against the porcelain. "Where's Disneyland?"

"In California." Johnny cracked a smile. "Why, you wanna go?"

"Kind of." She hummed absentmindedly, likely dreaming of teacups and roller-coasters and Mickey Mouse. "My dad promised he'd take me last year."

Their conversation faltered for a moment as the waitress came back with their meals; eggs and bacon for Ellie and a burger and coke for Johnny, since neither of them knew whether it was still morning or afternoon.

Johnny took a short sip of his drink as the waitress slipped away. "Screw your dad. I'll take you. Not like we have anywhere to be, anyway."

She looked up at him, the hazy distraction in her eyes sharpening into attention as she grinned. "You're right. Screw both my parents. Screw your parents as well- screw all parents. Who needs 'em? We've done just fine without."

He coughed a laugh, his mouth full with burger. "Don't get too ahead of yourself now, Els. We spent three days without electricity last week."

"Not the end of the world." She shrugged. "It was like camping."

Johnny rolled his eyes. Her attitude wasn't so optimistic then. He could distinctly remember her moaning and crying about her un-blow dried, frizzy, damp hair on the way to school. Ellie had the uncanny ability to utterly forget all the times she's ever been melodramatic.

"Anywhere else you want to go?" He asked.

Ellie made a noise that suggested she was thinking. "New York doesn't sound bad. Dallas-"

Johnny watched her expression fall. They'd only spoken briefly about Dally's stint in Juvi, having been more occupied with trying to keep her out of her mother's talons. No one quite knew when he'd be out. It was rare that Dallas made an attempt to speak to them when he was locked up. In there he was at his worst- no moral guidance, no compassion. That's the way he felt he needed to be to survive. The gang understood that. Only Two-Bit and Steve had ever spent more than a week in there, but everyone knew it wasn't exactly a boy-scout camp. The usual amount of time for damage to private property was a few months, give or take, but knowing Dallas he'd add another month onto that just from bad behavior. Johnny didn't want to be the one to tell Ellie that, but she must have known if she had been willing to leave Tulsa without waiting for him.

Whatever happened, Dallas couldn't be there for her now.

"That jerk." She sighed, sitting her fork down at the edge of her plate and raising her coffee mug up to her lips.

"Els..." Johnny began, faltered, winced, and leaned back against the booth in discomfort. "Els... uh..."

She quirked an eyebrow at him. "What?"

"You know..." He fought the urge to roll his eyes at himself. Drowning in awkwardness, he stared hard at his glass of coke. "You know I'll be around, right? No matter what happens."

Her face scrunched up, some of his discomfort transferring onto her. "Jeez, Johnny, you dying or something? Did'ja knock your head on the roof of the van?"

He flashed her a glare, sinking lower in the seat. Served him right for trying to be nice to her. How thick-headed could a girl be?

"I wish I had a smoke." Johnny grumbled to himself.

They sat in silence for a while, picking at their meals. Ellie had the decency to a little sheepish for teasing him, but the look faded away after a while. She spent most of the hour staring into the recesses of her coffee, tapping her nails along the mug until the liquid inside had grown cold.

"I feel like... calling my father." She looked up at him with her lips pursed in contemplation. "But I don't really know what I'd say."

Johnny couldn't help her with that one. He didn't quite know what to say to his own father. Something along the lines of 'fuck you', probably, but he didn't think Ellie would have the heart to say that, nor did her father deserve it. He was an ass for going to jail when he had three kids to care for, but he wasn't exactly a bad father- not to his daughter, at least.

"Just say what comes to mind." He suggested, lifting his ass off the seat so he could rummage through his back pocket. He pulled out a coin and passed it to her. "I saw a payphone by the washrooms when we came in."

Ellie took the penny with a twinge of hesitation, flipping it slowly in her fingers.

"Okay, fine." She muttered, as if he had been the one to suggest the call in the first place. Shimmying out of the booth, Johnny watched as she approached the short hall leading to the washrooms. She picked up the receiver, dunked the coin into the slot, and waited for the operator to transfer her to what he assumed was her father's prison line.

Ellie gnawed anxiously on her lip . Johnny saw the exact moment she heard her father's voice by the light suddenly sparking in her eyes. Her mouth flew in into a frenzy of words, halting onto to listen before beginning again, louder and faster like the engine of a souped up car. Her expression drifted across a spectrum of emotions, from trepidation, to trembling optimism, and finally frustration. She gripped the wooden side of the payphone tensely, her cheeks reddening, her brows furrowed together. Johnny wished his booth was close enough to be able to hear their conversation, but her voice was only loud enough to hear garbled, angry sounds that very faintly resembled words.

"So?" He asked curiously as she came back to the booth, her nose red a warning of tears to come.

She brought her arm up and rubbed her eyes with a coat sleeve, expressing in a thick, mournful voice, "I miss Dally."

Johnny was confused, but only for a second. Both of the most important men in her life were locked up. The irony of that had escaped him until then. She probably hadn't even wanted to speak to her father, but at this point he was the closest she'd get to Dallas.

"Come on now," Johnny slid out of his seat and into her side of the booth. He slung an arm around her shoulder and gave her a gentle shake. "No crying, Els. We ran away for a reason, didn't we?"

"Sorry." She sniffed, dipping her head down to his shoulder. "You're right. Might as well have stayed home if all I wanted to do was cry."

Johnny brushed her hair down and out of his face. "What did your old man say?"

"He's going to take care of my mom- make sure she leaves me alone. Danny was right. He's pretty angry about her. Enough to want the rest of us to have nothing to do with her." She cupped her mug again, sighing. "Without being convicted, he still has as much rights over us as she does."

Johnny noticed the waitress passing by and waved at for the bill. They needed to get moving. Maybe the sting of cold outside would get their minds off the shit-storm they were running from.

The young girl placed the bill on the table wordlessly, glancing at Ellie's red face and then to Johnny before hurrying off. He slapped his money beside it and slid out of the booth. "Let's go, okay? I think we're almost out of Oklahoma."

Ellie followed him out, their arms linked for both companionship and warmth. Johnny lead her to the right, where they had watched the van disappear less than an hour ago. In less than ten minutes they were back in farm country. It was roughly noon by then, and the only traffic consisted of a handful of rigs and station wagons packed to the brim with families on their way back to hometowns, not exactly ideal for hitch-hiking. It wasn't much of a surprise when they all passed them without slowing down. Having slept in the dirt all night, they didn't exactly look like model citizens.

Ellie busied herself with picking at the long frozen weeds growing between the gravel and the foot deep ditch that ran along the highway. Her near-constant chatter kept Johnny company while he alternated between sticking his thumb out for cars and kicking pebbles as far as they could go before he lost them. They spoke about all the places they wanted to see in the country, and when they ran out of those, they went on to Mexico and Canada, and when that got boring, they dreamed of Europe- London, Paris, Italy, Spain...

They walked on with determination for another hour or two. He was beginning to get worried. If they didn't catch a ride or hit a town before dark, they'd be sleeping along the road again. He didn't think Ellie could handle that for another night. In the distance a sign began to drift into their sights, bobbing up and down as they walked, occasionally obscured by a passing truck or a tree planted too close to the road. They had trekked so long with it in their view that Johnny began to get excited as it neared, as if it was one of the markers on their virtual map of exotic places, as interesting as the Eiffel Tower or the Chrysler Building.

"I forgot Hawaii!" Ellie exclaimed after a pause while they searched their brains for places to go. Her face lit up again as she grabbed his shoulder, spinning him around in excitement. "Maybe we'll see Elvis!"

Johnny grinned. "Maybe he'll take a liking to you."

"Oh, shush." She huffed, smacking his arm and then revealing her own sly smile. "You think he would?"

"Oh sure." Johnny teased, "Guys love married women."

"Johnny!" Ellie whined, ducking her ring finger behind her back guiltily. "I'm not _married_. Not yet..."

She faltered, sobering but not quite to the point of sulking. He was relieved to find he wouldn't be battling another bout of tears.

"My dad-" Ellie bent sideways a little so that she could graze the tall, untamed grass, collecting icy dew on her fingers. "He's not happy to hear Dallas proposed, either. He said he'll be out in a few months as long as the trial goes well. I've been independent from them for so long I nearly forgot I need permission for anything, but if he says _no_..."

Johnny didn't reply. He'd always thought of the engagement as little more than something to sooth Ellie's morals and sensibilities. It was a farce, though that wasn't something anyone was about to say out loud. Even if Ellie cried and moaned and begged him, even if he really _did_ love Ellie, no one had ever convinced Dallas Winston into doing something he hadn't already planned on doing anyway. And Dallas didn't have any intention to start planning a wedding. Not at the tender age of seventeen and not without being hog-tied, literally- though the last part could be arranged. He hadn't been too keen on Dallas lately, not after-

They stopped, the sign now a cheerful beacon looming in front of them.

_Arkansas Welcomes You!_

It was the shape of the state, lines and doodles to mark major roads and attractions. Johnny crammed his freezing hands into his pocket and soaked the image of it into his memory. A similar sign was planted on the other side of the highway to greet those entering Oklahoma.

"You've never been out of Oklahoma." Ellie remembered, approaching his side so she could loop her arm around his again.

"Els..." Johnny humbled, though his eyes kept a stoic vigil ahead of him. "I meant it when I said I'd be there for you, you know."

She pulled him tighter, using her other hand to stretch up and pull back a few chocolate strands that had fallen into his face. "I know, Johnny. You haven't failed me before."

He had, but this was another thing he'd rather not say out loud. Instead he slung his arm over her shoulder, allowing her to wrap her own around his back.

Ellie burrowed her cheek against his chest. "I feel like you're not telling me something."

"Really?" Johnny snorted bemusedly, "I feel like you're not telling _me_ something."

"Like what? You know everything." Ellie looked a little offended. "Even the things I don't want you to know!"

"Then why didn't you tell me?" He shot back, feeling a little agitated as well. Did she think she could just spring it on him mid-way through? Somewhere between the Gulf of Mexico and Disneyland? He'd gone on this trip for _her, _because he'd known that it didn't matter if she was gone with her mother or still in Tulsa, this wasn't something she could just ignore until it went away.

"Tell you what?" Ellie huffs, pulling back from him slightly to examine the growing anger on his face.

"That you're pregnant!"

The shock on her face was too real for him. Her hand automatically went to her stomach, the blood drained from her face. Then suddenly she was just as angry as he was, if not more so.

"Pregnant?" She screeched, thwacking him hard on the chest. "Will people _please_ stop assuming that? I'm not freakin' pregnant!"

He felt so relieved he could float into the hair like an angel reaching for heaven, but so embarrassed he might sink into the ground and turn into mud. Not pregnant. Thank fucking God.

He felt so exhausted he would have sat down on the ground if he wasn't scared of getting frost bite on his ass.

"Why'd you think that?" Ellie asked, anger dissipating as quickly as his did. Now she looked more amused than anything.

Johnny scratched the back of his head, cheeks tinted, a guilty smile gracing his lips. "When you ran off to puke the other day, I was worried. So I followed you, but I only made it as far as the bathroom door. I waited for you to come out, but I managed to catch snippets of your conversation with the girls..."

"Oh..." Ellie blinked, then straightened up and made a face. "Oh. Yeah, no, that was just... I'm not pregnant, Johnnycake. Anyway, you could have just asked me."

"Kind of a hard thing to bring up, honestly." He admitted, glad to feel her worming her way back to press against his side.

This time she used both arms to wrap around his frame, hugging him close. If someone was to pass by they'd think they were a couple, but by then they were used to that stereotype. Their pensive gazes fell back to the sign.

"What if I was pregnant?" Ellie wondered out loud, "Is that why you ran away with me?"

"Sort of." Johnny admitted.

She nudged him, knowing he was withholding information again. With great reluctance, he went on.

"I knew your mom would go nuts if she found out you were pregnant. You wouldn't be able to go to boarding school either, and I didn't know if your mom would want you sitting around her house with her new family. Honestly, I nearly told her that day you left. I figured she might just let you go if she thought you were past saving."

Ellie smiled. "You underestimate my mother."

A car zipped past them on the street, empty safe for an old, weary-eyed farmer, but Johnny didn't bother to stick his thumb out for a ride.

"When you came back I thought..." He shrugged, "Well, knocked-up girls usually run off with their boyfriends to elope, don't they? Dallas is locked up, so I figured I'd have to step up to the plate until he get's out. Couldn't let you go off on your own, anyway. Wouldn't last an hour."

When he looked down her face was turned away from him, still set on the sign. But when she spoke her voice was quivering.

"You dummy." She ground out, sounding both angry and weepy. "I can't believe you'd run off with a girl that's pregnant with another man's baby. You can't do that, do you understand? You've got to think about yourself sometimes, Johnny Cade."

But he _had _thought about himself. He had thought about how wonderful it would have been to see the world; all the wonders and adventures they'd stumble upon. He had thought about being the proud uncle of a beautiful a baby with blonde hair and a heart-skipping smile; how much love he'd feel for it because even if it wasn't his, it would be the combination of the two people he adored and looked up to the most. He thought of that farm he'd always wanted to live in; of children playing in the sliver of forest; of his friends saddling horses or playing poker on a wide deck. East-side Tulsa was a straight-jacket. It was dead-end jobs and racked up bills and alcohol addictions. Johnny had wanted to run away long before Ellie had even mentioned the idea. This had been for him as much as it had been for her.

"Are you ready?" Ellie asked after a while, nudging her head towards the sign. It stood the same. Cheerful and kitschy and calling them with open arms.

Johnny nodded. They pulled apart, linked only with their hands. After a beat, Johnny lead them into Arkansas. Behind the sign the road stretched on interrupted. The shrubbery was still overgrown, the trees sparse and shivering in the cold, the ditch dry and covered in weeds. If the sign hadn't been there they would have never known they were in a different state.

Johnny felt the same. After all this time, all the dreams he clung to during those dark nights, there was no difference between Oklahoma and Arkansas. No difference between America and Europe- earth and the universe. But instead of disappointment, Johnny felt a twinge of hysterical delight bubble up in his chest.

"What?" Ellie asked, smiling as he began to chuckle.

"I just realized, we have to go home." Johnny's chuckle turned into an uncontrollable snicker, his face turning crimson.

Ellie stared, amazed at him. She waved to their surroundings. "After all this?"

"I just realized-" He had to pause, his laughter growing until he couldn't speak. "I- hah! I told _everyone._"

"Told everyone _what_?" Her face fell as she began to understand. "That I was pregnant? _Johnny_!"

"Hah! Ah- we've got to tell 'em, 'for Dallas hears." The image of of Dallas having a stroke in his prison cell nearly made Johnny wet himself. ""For the whole school hears!"

She smacked his chest again, but when he doubled over, gasping for air in between roaring mirth, her own laugh began to flutter along the cold, sparse landscape, slithering through the empty branches of a naked willow and whistling along the tall weeds.

* * *

**This one was pretty late! Sorry folks! But hey, Johnny finally got out of Oklahoma! And Ellie isn't pregnant, thank freaking God. Though honestly I very much considered it. Dallas, a _father_? How fun would that be? But there are already too many things going on in this story, honestly.**

**Things are going to be winding down pretty quickly here. Next chapter will be set after a time-skip, so we'll see where Ellie and Johnny and the rest of the gang is after a few months. Will Dallas be there? Maybeeee!**

**Anyway, let me know what you thought about this chapter. I'm actually a little proud of my descriptions in this one. :)**

_**Please Review! **_**I'll see ya'll in two weeks!**


	41. Yellow

40.

Juvi-hall wasn't far from home. Really, it was only a handful of blocks off the main road, a walking distance to Steve's house and the DX. It was a two storey building made of concrete with a tall, concrete barricade all around except for the front, which was chain-linked. It was a little prison for little criminals. They used to send Dallas to a different one across the city that looked more like a community center. He could remember all the damn murals; they were everywhere, on every wall, smiling faces of happy people frolicking in parks and shit. That was the kind of place they sent kids that had 'potential'- kids that could be 'fixed' and made into model citizens. They didn't send him there anymore. He liked it better in this place, anyway. Less Socs.

"You look like shit." Shepard greeted him from the driver's window of his truck. Dallas rounded the vehicle, wrenching the passenger door open and crawling inside with an exhausted groan.

"Really?" He finally replied, snatching Tim's cigarette pack from the dash as the other man slid out of the parking lot. He lit a smoke. "'Cause it's like a damn health spa in there."

"I know." Tim said, with a conniving smile that always suggested he knew more than he ever let on. He probably did. The Shepards made good money smuggling things in and out of Juvenile halls all over the city.

Dallas leaned back in his seat, savoring the lick of cigarette smoke as it traveled down his throat and into his lungs. It soothed him, but it wasn't quite enough to quench the itch in his chest. After two long months locked up, he was craving three things: liquor, rodeo, and sex.

"I can't believe you only got two months for tearing up that Soc's car." Tim scoffed, tapping his hand against the wheel to the beat of a Rolling Stones song as they waited for the light in front of them to turn green. "After what we did to it... there's no way that things goin' anywhere else but the dump."

Dallas grunted. He didn't like thinking about that. It was a little embarrassing that he'd gone ape-shit on such a nice car, only to find out it wasn't the right one. The only consolation was that it was a Soc car, and any time done for a crime against the Socs was worth it.

He flicked the butt of his cigarette through the crack in the window. "I'm going to find them eventually. When I do it'll be a lot worse than a smashed windshield.

"You sure got some beef with 'em." Tim observed, sounding vaguely mocking but not quite enough to warrant a punch- still, it got Dally's blood singing. "If the whole gang is up in arms about Cade gettin' jumped, I don't get why Curtis hasn't called for a rumble."

"Doesn't want it, that's why." Dallas answered, feeling the usual steel of defensiveness creep up his arms at the mention of his gang. "He's got to worry about his little brothers these days."

Tim hums thoughtfully. "Gettin' soft."

"Tell that to his face." The blond challenged.

Soda and Steve were with their girlfriends in the parking lot of The Dingo when they drove by. Dallas thought to wave at them but changed his mind. Hanging out the window of Tim's truck and waving erratically at his friends in hopes they'd notice him didn't sound so tuff. It sounded like something Two-Bit would do. Drunk.

Admittedly, Dallas missed his friends. Just a little.

"A rumble is bound to happen, anyway." Tim added, "I swear I keep seein' more and more Socs in our territory every day. They're like fucking cockroaches. Ain't no-body goin' to stand for it much longer. If it ain't Curtis who calls for a rumble, then it'll be me or the Brumley Brothers, but somebody's gonna do it, and _soon_."

Without having noticed, a grin had slid over Dally's face. A fight sounded wonderful, but a rumble sounded like ecstasy.

"I'll be there." Dallas promised.

"I know you will." Tim snorted. "Surprised to hear you didn't shed any blood in jail, honestly. Not like you."

"Yeah, well..." He stole another one of Tim's cigarettes, taking a long drag before answering. "Didn't want to extend my stay this time around. Got shit to do."

There was a shit-eating grin on Tim's face as he rolled his eyes. "You mean you got a girl to come running home to. Fuck, Winston, never thought I'd see you so pussy-whipped."

"Fuck you." Dally shot back, a little annoyed for not sounding malicious enough and even more annoyed now that all his cravings had faded to the back of his mind, replaced by a single burning desire that made him want to throw himself out of the truck and _sprint_ the rest of the way. 'Pussy-whipped' was right.

Dallas shifted uncomfortably in his seat.

"She's been doin' well." Tim mentioned, still grinning. "She was by the house a few hours ago, actually, lookin' _real_ good."

"Fuck you." Dallas was being serious this time. He wasn't spending his first hour of freedom trying to shift through the shit that spewed out of Shepard's mouth. "Ellie ain't the girl to fool around, and if she was it certainly hasn't been with your ugly fucking ass."

Tim's smirk grew wider. "You'd be surprised to see all the bad a good girl can do, kiddo. She did pick you, after all, and you and me ain't as different as ya' think."

Dallas wanted to scream. He wanted to slam Tim's face into the dash until he could never smirk again. Why did Shepard always want to torture him like this? They were supposed to be friends. They had good times. They had confided and counseled each other. They had each others backs. But the minute girls came into the picture, Tim became nothing more than a snake in the garden. So why did Dallas put up with this shit?

It was because they _weren't_ different. He loved the gang as if they were his brothers, but they'd never understand where he came from and why he was what he was. When he did things- things they considered to be past their realm of trouble- they reprimanded him and judged him and wondered why he'd turned out so rotten. Not Tim. When Dallas grabbed a piece of loose piping from the dumpster and used it to snap off that Soc's rear-view mirror, Tim hadn't asked him to stop. He had joined in without even asking why.

"I'm fucking joking." Tim snorted when Dallas didn't reply. He shook his head. "Jesus. Seriously, you are one love-sick bastard."

Dallas finished his second cigarette and snubbed the butt on the inside of the passenger door before flicking it down under his seat. It went unnoticed by the driver, but Dallas still felt a twinge of satisfaction. "Drive faster, will ya'? Being around you for this long is startin' to make me sick."

Tim ignored him. "Heard she's got a present for you, anyway. You're goin' to fucking _love_ it."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Dallas asked, his mind already sliding into the gutter.

"Means _someone's_ been porking her." Tim laughed, "Maybe it was you, or maybe it was Cade, but she's knocked up. Better check the calender, kiddo."

For a moment Dallas thought the truck had collided. He felt a thousand shards of glass slice into his skin, pain bursting behind his eyes, the world spinning out of control around him.

"Christ, don't puke in here." Tim's voice was faint and far away, and so was the hand on his shoulder. "Ah, fuck man, relax. You look like you're going to pass out."

Cranking the knob to turn the window down, Dallas stuck his head through and gulped thirstily at the air. He felt feverish; sweat was forming on his forehead and back, his arms and legs so numb it was an amazement he could still move them.

"Pregnant?" He wheezed, meaning to run a hand through his hair but ending up tugging at the roots.

"That's the rumor." Shepard shrugged, as if getting a girl pregnant wasn't the worst thing to ever happen to a seventeen-year-old. "A little while after you got locked up, she ran off with Cade. Came back after a few days, but people started hearin' she left 'cause she was pregnant. Some of 'em are sayin' she eloped with Cade and some are sayin' she -ya know'- got _rid_ of it."

"Fuck." Dallas swallowed thickly, trying in vain to process this information in a way that made it less messy and screwed up and _shit_. "_Fuck._"

"Yeah, you're really fuckin' screwed." Tim pulled over. Past his head Dallas could make out half the porch and the living-room window. "Now you _really_ gotta marry her... or, ya' know, skip town."

Dallas didn't know what to say- was scared to saying anything at all. He felt like he was on trial again, standing in front of a judge, waiting for the gavel to fall. His mind was buzzing with all the wrongs he'd done, all the stupid mistakes he could have avoided it he'd just been smarter. A fucking baby. He wanted to crawl back into jail. It would have been a more merciful fate.

"Hurry up," Tim reached over and rapped his knuckle against the side of Dally's head. "Don't wanna keep your loving wife waiting."

Dallas grumbled something vaguely like "Not married yet-" as he stumbled from the truck. The sun was shining overhead, but in the last legs of winter, Tulsa was being bombarded by cold, slicing winds. A whoosh of air crawled up the back of his jacket when Tim's truck ripped into the street.

Lord and Lady came sprinting as he opened the gate, their tongues falling from their muzzles, their tails wagging. Even Lord seemed happy to see him after so long. The beast hung back while his female counterpart bound up to him, licking and snipping early at his hands and arms. Dallas couldn't hold back a half-smile, watching Lord trotting in circles around them, more in greeting then territorial.

They didn't follow him up the porch, but waited at the bottom of the steps, tails beating against the thawing ground. Dallas sighed at them, his breath turning to fog.

He was hit by a sugar-sweet warmth as he walked into the main hall. The house was relatively quiet, though the faint buzz of the radio could be heard, and a louder squeal of the oven from the kitchen. He followed the sound.

"Hey."

The tray of cookies Ellie was balancing in one mitten-ed hand swayed dangerously in her surprise. Her hip banged against the oven door, catching her as she lost footing. Dallas stepped up and grabbed the other side of her waist to steady her, a frown pulling at his mouth. This clumsy brat was carrying a baby?

"Be careful, dumb-ass."

"D-Dallas?" She gasped, dropping the tray down on the stove top with a careless clatter. Without a second's warning her shock became glee, flinging her arms around his torso, squealing and giggling in his ear. "Dally! You're back!"

Dallas slid his other hand around the back of her shoulders, hugging her back. Again, he found himself at a loss for words. There was so much he wanted to say- to ask, but somehow it felt like talking would only give him more grief.

"You were supposed to be gone for another two months." She mumbled into his dirty, sweat-stained shirt, reminding him of just how badly he needed a hot shower. Her arms slackened, then unwound. His hands went back to her waist.

Dallas hadn't expected the whip of her palm against the side of his face, or how badly it stung afterwards.

"Dallas Winston, you better get it together," Ellie snapped, pushing him away from her. "If you think I'll be hanging around, waiting for you to get home every time you get locked up, well-!"

Dally stepped forward and she stepped back. He watched her mouth move without hearing what she said, focused more on the way she stumbled back every time he inched closer. It was only when her shoulder blades touched the far wall did the anger die in her eyes and the words faltered in her throat.

"Dallas." She glared up at his looming figure, trying to dissect the expression on his face. "Promise me. Promise me you'll try to stay out of trouble from now on."

He brought his hand up to her chin, his sprawling fingers curving along her jaw. She stared unflinchingly at him, unafraid, waiting patiently. His cheek throbbed, likely red.

"Ya' fuckin' slapped me." Dallas chuckled as she gripped his wrist.

A smug grin fluttered across Ellie's face. "Welcome home, jerk."

Dallas bent down and caught her upturned lips in a kiss. Ellie was as soft and warm as he remembered her to be. He missed this. More than booze or fighting or anything. Not for the first time, he wondered how women could hold so much power over men. There be something magical in their touch, their words, their bodies... They could burn like fire or sooth like meadows in spring, it didn't matter. They could disarm the strongest with a glance.

He wasn't even mad that she'd slapped him. If anything, it turned him on.

"I missed you." Ellie hummed distractedly against his lips as he grabbed her ass and hiked her up, slim legs wrapping securely around his torso for support.

Dallas deepened the kiss in reply, firm and hungry but restrained. 'I missed you too' was just another phrase he'd never find the courage to repeat back to her. Instead he curled his hand along the back of her thigh and watched her squirm slightly.

"Not here." Ellie threaded her fingers along his temples and hair, scratching, sending thunderbolts all the way down to his toes. "Upstairs."

"But I wanna' defile you in the kitchen." Dallas grumbled, thinking of all the time it'd take to walk upstairs. He grinned. "I wanna defile you all _over_ the house."

Ellie tugged at a tuft of hair by his ear. "Someone could walk in."

"Let 'em."

Dallas adjusted his grip on her anyway, taking the brunt of her weight off the wall and into his arms. He carried her into the hall and up the stairs, nearly tipping backwards when Ellie nibbled playfully on his ear, her fingers at just the right spot on the back of his head.

He tossed her unceremoniously down onto her bed without thought, then felt a prickle of fear as Ellie bounced on the mattress, giggling. Should he be more gentle? Should he even be _doing_ this?

"Wait-" He coughed, grabbing her wrist as it moved towards him. "Just wait-"

Ellie used her other hand to hook a finger around a belt-loop on his jeans. Her legs hitting his thighs, her skirt pooling dangerously by her hips. Dallas swallowed the lump in his throat, sweat prickling the back of his neck.

Tim must have been lying. He _had_ to be. Dallas was pretty confident that the 'eloping' was bullshit. Johnny wouldn't do that to him no matter how he felt about Ellie. But how could she- she was hardly a damn _woman_. Had a stupid slip-up (there had been more than he'd like to admit), fucked everything up? He was surprised at the guilt in his gut, fist-fighting with two months worth of lust. But what was ultimately worse was the chance that Ellie _had_ been pregnant, and was so sickened at the thought that she rid herself of it.

Ellie sat up half way, staring up at him with a mixture of worry and impatience. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing." Dallas found himself saying far too quickly. He reached over and ran his hand through the roots of her hair, watching her eyes drift shut at the touch, pleased. He stopped by the back of her ear. "I just need a minute."

Ellie nodded, releasing the loop of his jeans. She crawled up to her knees, leaning precariously on the edge of the bed, and wrapped slid her arms around his waist with her chin pressed into the center of his rib-cage, just under his collarbone. After a beat of silence, she leaned up as far as she could go and pressed her lips to the tip of his chin.

"You haven't shaved in a while." She noted, reaching to scratch at the stubble forming along his jaw. Then she pressed her face into his t-shirt and took a deep, long breath that fanned out like wild-fire against his chest.

"Ah-," He groaned to himself as her hands slipped underneath his t-shirt to caress the plane of his back. "_Fuck_."

He felt her grin.

"You're evil, ya' know that?" Dallas growled, shifting his hand down to the column of her neck. He pushed her back enough to capture her in a burning, open-mouthed kiss that caught her off guard. The satisfaction he felt at her reaction was strong enough to send a bolt of pleasure down his spine and into the pooling desire resting under his stomach.

Ellie broke off the kiss to gasp for air, their noses pressed together. Dallas could hear the excited tremor in her breaths and felt the way her hands shook ever so slightly as it traveled down the trail of hair under his bellybutton.

"No I'm not." Ellie said in that playfully pleading whine she conducted so well, hands pulling at the strap of his belt. Her eyes popped open, silvery and doe-like and piercing right through him. "I'm a good g-"

Dallas cupped the back of her thighs and roughly tugged. For a second time that afternoon, Ellie fell onto her back, giggling. He leaned over her with his own wild, demon-like smile, and ended her mirth with a kiss that made her thighs tighten around his hips.

Sex with Ellie was like watching a colored movie for the very first time. It was as heart-racing as the first race he'd ever won and as satisfying as beating up a Soc and as unpredictable as robbing a store. It was a big rumble and a bottle of jack and those deep, hearty laughs he only got when he was with his gang. It was as if she took every feeling in the world he'd ever experienced and brought them to heights he couldn't fathom. Sex was fucking great, but sex with Ellie was like dying and seeing a light in the darkness, only to be wrenched back to life.

Was _that_ love? Dallas didn't know, but it was more than he'd ever felt before.

"I don't think I turned the oven off." Was the first thing Ellie thought to say as they laid side by side on the bed, naked and sweating and panting for breath. In another second she was crawling off the bed and slipping her underwear up her legs.

Dallas slid up and watched her throw her t-shirt over her head. He tried to catch her wrist but she jumped out of his reach. "Come back 'ere." He grunted, "Who gives a damn about the stove?"

"I'll be back in a second." Ellie promised, slipping through the door. Dallas sighed, a little unhappy that he'd been left alone with his thoughts, and tugged open the side table drawer, hunting for some old cigarettes he had left somewhere in her room. He was rummaging through the back of it when Ellie came back.

"House isn't on fire." She confirmed. Knowing exactly what he wanted, she flipped open a trinket box sitting on her dresser and grabbed a pack of cigarettes and a lighter. Crawling onto the bed, she wielded a pair of cookies in front of him with her free hand. "I brought you a present."

Dallas grimaced. Ellie didn't notice. Resting in between his duvet-covered legs, she placed the cookies down on a knee and flipped the top of his packet open, fishing a cigarette out. He took it out of her hand and propped it between his lips, waiting patiently as she lit the end.

After a long drag, he gestured to her chest. "Take it off."

"The shirt?" Ellie asked, nibbling on her cookie. "I won't put crumbs on it, I swear. You have more here anyway!"

"Don't care." Dallas drawled, grabbing the hem and tugging it off. Ellie's face reappeared with a pout, chocolate smeared against the corner of her mouth. Her arm wrapped automatically over her chest, covering herself.

"What the hell are you trying to hide?" He asked with a snort, "I've saw all of it a second ago."

Ellie twisted around so that her back was facing him, scowling, no doubt. He'd never noticed before, but her back was covered in a spattering of freckles. "This is different, you pervert."

He slung an arm around her waist and tucked Ellie against his chest, giving her breast a light squeeze just for the sake of it. She squirmed and whined, digging her shoulder back.

"You're gonna make me drop my cookie."

Dallas plucked the bitten treat from her and finished it off. It was still gooey and warm from the oven and left melted chocolate on the pad of his thumb.

Ellie claimed the second cookie and nestled into him. "Why'd they let out early?"

"I killed a few guards and escaped."

"Sounds like you."

The corner of Dally's mouth twitched upward. Leaning his chin atop her head, his grasp traveled down towards her stomach. He felt the softness there, the natural curve between rib cage to hip bone, his fear swelling and falling like a rip-tide, pulling him under just when he thought he'd caught his breath. He didn't know what to believe. If anything she seemed to have lost weight.

"Stop grabbing at my fat!" Ellie squealed, her mouth full of cookie. She made an attempt to pry his fingers away, but he clung on and pinched her skin just to tease her.

"Getting pretty big, Princess." Dallas mumbled in her ear. "Letting yourself go while I was gone?"

Ellie gasped, twisting around to slug his arm. "You jerk! I can't believe you'd say that! I'll have you know-"

"Relax," Dallas snorted, "I'm kidding."

She glared up at him, really only slightly insulted, before turning away to finish her cookie in sulky silence.

"What have you been up to?" Dallas pushed after a moment, leaving one warm hand on her stomach as the other pulled the cigarette from his mouth.

Ellie breathed heavily through her nose. "Not much," she answered flippantly, "Partying, drinking, sleeping around. The usual."

"Sounds like you." Dallas repeated back to her in a tone that made Ellie glance up at him, brows furrowed.

"I'm kidding. All I did was work or go to school. There isn't a whole lot to do when you're away."

Dallas bent over to flick his cigarette in an old mug on her night stand. He didn't particularly want to get into this kind of conversation on his first day home, but if he didn't get a straight answer soon he'd be insane by the end of the week. The problem was, he didn't know how to give a straight question. "Sounds like you've found a few ways to keep busy, with or without me."

He felt a pang of regret as Ellie pulled away from him, crawling to the foot of the bed to grab a sweater she had hung on one of the posts. She slipped it over her head and turned back, sitting on her haunches a little ways out of his reach. "What's wrong?"

"What'd ya' mean, '_what's wrong'_?" He grumbled, finding himself unable to look her in the eye. He searched the covers for a lighter instead, coming up short.

"You're acting… weird." She told him bluntly, silver irises following him. "Like something's bothering you."

Dallas grit his teeth and reached for his hair, combing it back and tugging at the ends to ease the building pressure in his temple. He wished he could just ask, but the question was stuck to the roof of his mouth like peanut butter. This should be easy. He'd never had problems speaking his mind before, only this time he really didn't want to hear what she had to say in return.

Pregnant. Pregnant. Pregnant. _Pregnant_. It hung around like a ghost above his head, intangible but very much a possible reality, yet too absurd to mention out loud. Dallas felt useless and stupid and cowardly and more importantly, pissed off at himself.

"Are you hungry?" Ellie asked when he didn't reply. She stuck her legs out over the side of the bed and slid off.

"There's leftover spaghetti from yesterday," She went on, kicking around on the floor before she found a suitable skirt to slip on. "or I can start cooking dinner. It's nearly six and Johnny should be home soon. He'll be happy to see you- unless you've already seen the boys?"

She looked up and caught him staring at her, the unlit cigarette hanging pointlessly between his lips.

"Right. I forgot that I shouldn't worry about you. I forgot I shouldn't ask how you're feeling, or what's wrong, or why you're always coming home drunk or cut up or pissed off or all three." Ellie bent, reaching down at the edge of the bed to pick the lighter from the floor where it fell. She tossed it to him. "Because you can take care of yourself, right?"

By the time Dallas had lit his cigarette, Ellie was slipping through the bedroom door and out of sight.

"Fuck." He grumbled to the empty room, before slipping on his jeans and a fresh shirt, following her downstairs. Ellie was slamming a pot of water onto a burner when he entered the kitchen, a sleeve of dry spaghetti and a tub of spaghetti sauce on the counter. She didn't acknowledge him sit down, his seat twisted so that he could lean his side against the kitchen table.

"What happened with your mother?"

Ellie tapped her finger against the tile counter, waiting impatiently for the water to boil. "Got all the way to Woodward before Danny interfered."

Dallas scoffed."You actually went with her?"

"I didn't have any _choice_."

She was making him miserable the way she was speaking. Clipped and judgmental and angry. Sure, it was his fault, but he wasn't being any more of an ass than he usually was. Ellie knew how he could be, but today she was taking it personally.

"Els," He ground his half finished cigarette into the linoleum table. "You see Tim today?"

"Yeah, what about him?"

"He's been saying shit-"

She turned her head slightly, indicating that she was listening. "Like what?"

"Like-" Dallas paused, chewing hard on the inside of his cheek and tasting blood. "Why the hell are you seein' Tim, anyway? You don't got any business with him."

"What are you, my father?" Ellie accused, grabbing a handful of spaghetti and throwing it into the pot. "I went by his house."

He could hardly believe his ears. Was this a fucking joke? What the _fuck_ had happened while he was gone? Dallas sat up in his seat, rubbed his face, growled "Jesus fucking Christ, Els-"

"Will you relax?" Ellie turned around, her arms crossed over her chest. "I went over for Angel. She's been sick all week and I was bringing her homework over. Dallas, what the hell is wrong with you?"

"What the hell is wrong with _you_?" Dallas shouted back, standing suddenly, towering over her, grasping at her wrist. Ellie wrenched herself away, a great gasp escaping her mouth as her eyes began to swell with tears and then waterfall down her cheeks, all in a matter of milliseconds.

"You!" She sobbed, backing up against the stove. "I waited two stupid months for you to come home! Then you get here and treat me like- like_ s-shit! _Making me feel like I should be ashamed of something, that I'm hiding something from you! Just ask, Dallas! What do you want to know- _Ah_!"

She flinched away from the stove, cradling her hand to her chest. Behind her, water splashed from the pot, droplets slipping over the rim and hissing into evaporation on the burner.

"_Fuck_." Dallas sighed, spotting an angry red stripe glowing on the palm of her hand.

Ellie pulled away when he tried to reach for her. While his temper had died at her injury, her's had exploded.

"Just go away, will you?" She screamed at him, grabbing the chain around her neck and pulling it off with her free hand. She tossed his ring at his chest. He was so surprised he nearly didn't catch it. "Come find me when you've grown the hell up!"

"Ellie-"

They were interrupted by a screech of tires and the distinct sound of a familiar voice, shouting from the street. Dally turned to the window so quickly his neck cracked, then back to Ellie's blanched expression.

"Stay here." He demanded when she stepped towards the door.

Ellie hesitated. "Where's Johnny?"

There was a stampede of sneakers against cement passing by the house. Dallas sent a warning glare at her before hurrying to the front door, down the steps, into the yard. The gate was already open, the dogs racing past Steve with low tails and hackles raised.

"Pony." Steve twisted around and raced to catch up with the rest of the gang, Dally not far behind. The dogs were in the alley before any of the boys, snapping their slobbery maws at a handful of Socs, scaring them towards their car. A moment later the rest of them had caught up. Most of the boys had found safety inside the car, but Dallas managed to grab the collar of a straggler, slamming him against the hood, throwing a punch that caught the Soc's ear and likely broke his ear drum judging by the shout he let out. One of his friends managed to grab the kid and pull him inside the car before Dallas could inflict any more damage. They peeled out of the alley, catching a few kicks and slams against the exterior before getting away. It was over as soon as it began.

He started back towards Pony, who was sitting up on the ground with Soda, holding a handkerchief to his little brother's temple. The poor kid was pale and shivering, trying but failing to hide the wetness on his face. Dally didn't judge him. Pony was soft, but he was allowed to be soft because he wasn't the same as the rest of them. He'd been raised well by his family and, if he played his cards right, wouldn't ever have to harden in order to survive. It was his first time getting jumped too. Dallas couldn't even remember when his first time had been- couldn't remember the day where he stopped being jumped and started jumping.

"The kid's okay?" Two-Bit asked after a list of cusses he'd aimed at the retreating Socs.

"I'm okay." Ponyboy answered for himself, looking the complete opposite of 'okay'. He looked like he was going to puke. "I didn't know you were out of the cooler yet, Dally."

"Good behavior." Dallas answered, starting up another cigarette. The boys sat down on the dirt beside Pony, passing a few smokes around in their make-shift circle. Lord sat down beside Johnny, panting, while Lady nudged her wet nose at Pony's slowly coloring cheek. How the hell those two beasts could be so well trained was beyond Dally.

_Shit_\- Dallas started as the boys talked around him. Was the car blue? Dallas squinted at the road as it shrunk along the horizon. No, it had been red. He didn't know whether to be relieved or pissed off.

"Next time, ask one of us to go with you, Pony." Two-Bit told the kid in a rare moment of seriousness, despite the playful grin on his face, "Any of us'll come."

Dally crushed the last of his cigarette into the ground. "Speakin' of movies, anyone wanna go to the Nightly Double tomorrow night?"

"Me and Soda are takin' the girls to the game." Steve answered quickly, shooting a glare at Pony to warn him not to invite himself. There wasn't any need. Pony tagged along on anything but dates. He wasn't into girls yet, as far as Dallas knew.

Darry sighed. "Can't. Got work tomorrow night."

"Two-Bit? Johnnycake?" Dallas asked, starting to feel a little desperate. He needed time away from Ellie; find some time for both of them to cool the fuck down. But if he didn't have any plans tomorrow he knew he'd end up getting drunk- or worse, staying sober- only to crawl back over there and make it worse. "You and Pony want to come?"

"We'll go." Pony nodded, his arm slung over the back of Lady. He'd stopped shaking.

"I wanna get boozed up tomorrow night." Two-Bit answered, stretching his long legs out in front of him. "But I'll come find ya' if I can't find any."

Steve let out a sudden huff of laughter.

"What?" Dallas grumbled.

"Your ring." He pointed at the class ring wrapped around Dally's index finger. "Ellie finally get sick of you?"

"Fuck off, Steve." Dallas pulled out his cigarette packet again. He could feel everyone's gaze on him now, burning into his skull, irritated, worried, confused, curious.

Today was a chain-smoking kind of day.

* * *

**:O We're here! We've finally hit plot! I'm scared, are you scared?**

**Love ya'll! Leave a review!**


	42. Done All Wrong

42.

Tulsa was a big city, but it didn't take much to know every face from your own side of town- and if you didn't know them, chances were one of your friends did. That's why The Dingo was Johnny's favorite place in the city. Everything happened there, and if it didn't happen there, you heard about it there. It was the center of his small, small world.

Even Ellie knew everyone. Granted, she worked there now.

"Aren't you supposed to be going to the drive-in?" She asked, hiking her school bag up on her shoulder as she strolled towards the souped-up car they were hanging around. The guy who owned it was real tough; a big burly guy who was being recruited by the River Kings, but his friends were much softer. They didn't rumble very much.

Dallas had his back to her but didn't turn at the sound of her voice. His arms crossed over his chest.

"In a few minutes, when the sun's down." Johnny explained, loosely flinging an arm around her shoulder. Dallas could sulk all he wanted, but Johnny wasn't going to ignore Ellie just because they were fighting.

"Hey, Ellie." A flaxen-haired boy of fifteen greeted eagerly from his seat on the roof of the car, his cheeks pinking at the sight of her. Johnny didn't even need to look at Dallas to know he was burning a hole in the back of the kid's head.

Ellie smiled demurely up at him. "Hi, Adam. How's your little brother?"

"Doing better." The kid replied quickly, "He's been begging me to bring him over to see you."

Another boy furrowed his heavy brows at his friend. "When the hell did you get a brother?"

"Seven years ago." Ellie explained, "You should bring him by. First piece of blueberry pie is on me."

Dallas stuck a cigarette in between his lips and lit it, grumbling something under his breath.

"What?" Pony asked, looking up from playing with the buttons of his shirt.

"Nothing." Dallas shrugged. He leaned a hand on the hood of the car by Ponyboy, passing him the smoke as it left his mouth, his ice-blue eyes on Adam. "Hey, Pony, you think you're still young enough to use so I can get dates with girls? I'm thinkin' of giving it a try- ya' know, since I don't have the fucking balls to ask a broad outright."

"Dallas-" Ellie warned with a sigh.

"What the hell are you trying to say, Winston?" Adam asked, kicking off the roof and falling on his feet with a solid thud. The boys stepped back out of instinct, giving them room. Ponyboy pressed up as far as he could go against the car, caught between the two boys.

"You know what I said, kiddo." Dallas answered eagerly, a teeth-baring grin spreading across his face. "You think you got the balls to ask my girl out to my face, go ahead. See what happens."

"Let's not start any trouble, okay?" Ellie begged, wiggling out from under Johnny's arm. He tried to catch her arm to keep her out of the line of fire, but she was always quicker than he could anticipate.

Dallas was quick too. His hand snapped forward -Adam flinched back- and he grabbed hold of Ellie's wrist and tugged her so quickly out of the circle they had made that it looked as if he could have sprained it.

"Ah-!" She hissed, stumbling along as he dragged her across the parking lot. Johnny's heart fell down to his gut as he hurried to follow them. They'd been at this since last night.

Ellie had been standing by the front gates when the boys came back home. She threw her arms around Pony and fretted over the cut on his temple, scolding him in the same way Darry had yet somehow sounding sweeter. Dallas hung back, chewing on what must have been his tenth cigarette, glaring at his girlfriend. He followed her to bring the dogs back into the yard, and a few moments later they disappeared into the house. Johnny had dinner at the Curtis', gathered a good amount of macaroni cheese into some tupperware, and went home after the sun sank down. He took three steps into the yard, heard shouting from within, and turned around. Leaving the food in the yard for the dogs, Johnny crawled back to the Curtis' to claim the sofa before anyone else did.

"They're fighting." He had told Darry and Soda in the living room.

Darry looked up from the back rub he was getting from his younger brother. "What kind of fightin'?"

"Yelling."

Darry hung his head back down. "As long as it's just that."

"Dally wouldn't hurt her." Soda scoffed, but Johnny could tell from the change in his expression that he immediately doubted his words. "Not Ellie, right?"

They all wanted to agree, but it would have sounded like a lie coming out of their mouths. Johnny was loyal to Dallas and liked to think there was some good in him- in everyone, but he knew his friend also had a very hazy view of right and wrong. Hitting a girl wouldn't be the worst thing Dallas had ever done.

"I can't even leave you alone at fucking work?" Dally hissed at her, stopping at the crosswalk for the light to turn. Johnny hovered closely to her other side, his hands out of his pockets, tense and waiting. Ponyboy wavered behind them looking pained.

Ellie tore out of his grasp. "Are you kidding me? What, you're jealous of a seven year old with strep-throat?"

"No, I'm pissed off at the teenage boy you've been stringing along behind my back!"

"He's a customer, Dallas." Ellie snapped back at him, resisting the urge to flinch away from her boyfriend's unhinged temper. "Like the thousands of other kids I serve at the diner every day!"

"Yeah? You know all their fucking names too?" The walk signal flickered on. Dallas grabbed her forearm and pulled her onto the road.

"I do, actually!" She tried to wiggle out of his grasp again but his grip was too tight and she eventually gave up, trying to match his long strides with quick skittering steps. "I can name his whole gang because they're there every day, sitting in the same booth, asking for the same orders. What the hell do you want from me, Dallas? To _quit_? There are boys at school, too. Maybe I should quit that as well! That way I can just sit around in my house all day, praying the bills get paid or that maybe, just _maybe _my boyfriend will take some time out of his busy life to come see me!"

Dallas stopped suddenly and the rest of them nearly piled up behind him. His face was twisted in anger; in jealousy and some sort of alien emotion they couldn't quite place. They were just outside the drive-in, the last dregs of sunset flickering off the roof of the bathroom building that hid a gaping hole in the fence.

"I want you to stop offering your fucking _pie _to every greaser that walks into the Dingo!"

Ellie's mouth parted, her doe-eyes widening. She scoffed, then scoffed again, and then suddenly she was laughing. Not in offense or bitterness but a true giggle that lit her up like the morning sun. Pony and Johnny felt the tension slip from their shoulders like silk, the corners of their mouths tipping up, and soon they were laughing as well.

"You think this is funny?" Dallas growled, though he was beginning to appear more devilish than angry. He released her, striding towards the fence. He pulled back the wire links and slipped into the other side. "I'll fucking show you funny."

Ellie rolled her eyes. Johnny and Pony went to follow him.

"You coming?" Pony asked softly, holding the links open after him and waited expectantly for her.

She shrugged. "I guess so."

The drive-in was packed -as usual on a Friday night- with families and junior-high kids and Socs and Greasers alike. Dallas took the lead through the accumulating crowd. Johnny thought he'd lead them to the gangs of greasers hanging out further back in the massive lot, but instead he picked out a few seats in front of the concession stand. Ellie waited until all three boys were seated before picking the seat farthest away from Dallas and closest to Johnny. There were two girls sitting in front of them, a brunette and a redhead. Clean and prim; they were Socs.

Dallas started up a second later. He leaned over the side of the red-head's chair in front of him and grinned wickedly by her ear. "Hey, darlin', you sure are a pretty redhead."

"Oh _God_." Ellie groaned. She shut her eyes, her nose scrunched to suggest she was more annoyed than hurt.

"Are you a real redhead?" Dallas went on, casting the boys a dangerous look before turning back to the Soc. "How can I tell if you're a _real_ redhead?"

The girl turned her head around a little to get a good look at the guy who was harassing her. Johnny nearly choked on his spit- she was one damn beautiful Soc. He almost wanted to stay just to catch another look at her face, but he was starting to get embarrassed with the path Dallas was going down. He'd heard this joke before and he wasn't keen on sticking around for the punchline.

"Wanna grab a coke?" Johnny whispered in Ellie's ear, flinching back when she sprung from her seat. She must have been praying for a way out. She grabbed his hand as they wiggled between the isle.

"Where you goin'?" Dallas stopped Johnny with a hand on his chest. He'd gone from dangerously amused to dangerously angry in a flash of a second. He stood up and mumbled low enough for only Johnny to hear. "Stop protecting her."

Johnny matched his steely glare with his own. "Stop giving me a reason to."

Ellie tightened her grip on his hand in warning, another pressed against the small of his back, begging him to keep moving. Her gaze was cast down as she passed Dally.

"He's just trying to get at you." Johnny tried to assure her as they headed towards the concession. They had to dodge a gang of children running by in a game of tag. "If you ignore him he'll get bored eventually."

The crowd was thickening just as the movie began to start. It was some action-comedy; nothing special, but it wasn't like they'd paid to watch it. Teenagers usually came to drive-ins to goof off, anyway.

"Johnny." Ellie tugged at his sleeve to grab his attention from the sign above the stand that listed all the food and drinks.

"Mm?"

"Don't fight with Dallas."

Johnny scoffed, grinning as he glanced down at her. "What? Scared I'd bruise him up a little?"

She wasn't amused. "No, I just... I don't want you to get in the middle of it."

"It's fine-"

"No, it's _not_." She insisted, her frown deepening. "I told you before, I don't want anyone to pick sides between me and Dallas."

Johnny turned back to the sign. "And I told you that we're all a family. I'm not picking anyone's side. I don't even know what you're fighting _about_."

"Me neither," Ellie whispered to herself, before saying in a louder tone. "Then what _are_ you doing?"

"I've known Dally a long time." He explained, stepping up as the line shrunk. "He can handle himself."

"And I can't?"

"No." Johnny answered bluntly, laughing as her tiny fist met his shoulder.

When they came back, Dallas was gone but the redhead up front was sporting a burning face, her pretty lips twisted into a scowl. Her friend was cute as well; a small little brunette who hadn't paid any attention to Dally's teasing. When they caught Johnny staring he offered them a hasty 'hi' that was so hushed he'd be surprised they'd heard him. Face pink, he sat back down.

"Where'd he go?" Ellie asked Pony.

He shrugged, stealing a handful of popcorn from the bag in her hands. "Thought he went lookin' for you."

The brunette turned around in her seat, giving all three of them a good look. This was the first time she'd acknowledged anything apart from the screen. "Hey, we had classes together last year, right? You used to be Alice's friend? Ellie?"

She was speaking to Ellie. She nodded and offered a wane smile. "Yeah, we met in English. Your name's Marcia, right?"

The redhead turned around as well, intrigued but still frowning.

"Aren't..." Marcia faltered, glancing to her friend before turning back to Ellie, "Aren't you dating that guy? Winston?"

Ellie laughed, and for some reason it was genuine. "Engaged, actually. I'm sorry about him. He's been in a mood lately."

"Engaged?" The redhead cried, "You? With _that_?"

"He's not so bad." Ellie said, and Johnny could have sworn this was the millionth time she had said that both to herself and out loud.

The girls turned around as Dallas came back, wielding two cokes. He handed one to Marcia, who took it with trepidation but took it none the less.

He handed the second one to the redhead. "This might cool you off."

"Cool off?" She hissed, standing and tossing the coke in his face. "That might cool _you_ off, Greaser. After you wash your mouth and learn to talk and act decent, maybe then I'll cool off too."

Johnny got a bad feeling in the pit of his stomach as Dally wiped his face with a sleeve. Beside him, Ellie crossed her arms over her chest and barely held back a laugh. Dally caught her in the corner of his eye.

"Feisty, huh?" His smirk was like a warning, "That's the way I like 'em."

Ellie's smile fell. Dally opened his mouth again but before he could get another word out Johnny got up and put a hand on his arm.

"Leave her alone, Dally."

Dallas turned to him, disbelief written on his face, and when that ran out he was angry. "_What_?"

Johnny fought the urge to flinch away. Dallas wouldn't hurt him. They were friends- they were _brothers_. Dallas wouldn't hurt him... he hoped he wouldn't, because one punch would put Johnny flat on his ass.

"You heard me. I said leave her alone."

He could see Dally's jaw tighten. _Fuck_, Johnny thought, wondering how long it had been since he'd been bruised up. He seized up Johnny with a frozen gaze like he always did before a brawl. But then Dallas readjusted his jacket, crammed his clenched fists into his pockets, and stalked off. The pit in Johnny's stomach fell down lower.

"Thank you." The redhead sighed in relief, "He had me scared to death."

Johnny felt his cheeks burn. "You didn't act like it. Not a whole lot of people talk to Dallas like that."

"From what I saw, you do."

If he wasn't red already, he must have lit up like a tomato then.

"Why don't you come sit up here?" Marcia suggested, patting the seat beside her. "You boys can protect us."

Johnny and Ponyboy shared a look. If picking up two cute Socs were the result of telling one of his best and oldest friends to buzz off, he was going to start doing it more often.

They crawled over the backs of the seats, unable to hide their eagerness. Ellie hung back for a second. She glanced into the crowd of people beside them.

She reached down and patted Johnny's shoulder. "I'll see you later."

"Els..." Pony complained, frowning at her. "Just come sit with us."

Ellie didn't reply, smiled at the rest of them in farewell, and then hurried off in the direction that Dallas left.

"I can't figure out how a girl like her is with a guy like that." The redhead told them, watching her disappear. "Honestly, it makes me sad."

Johnny didn't say anything. He knew what it looked like to outsiders, but he also knew that Dallas felt more about Ellie than he ever had about anyone in his entire life. Sure, he was an ass, but he could be good, given the chance. He deserved someone that loved him for who he was, and if Ellie was the only one with a high enough tolerance level to deal with Dally's shit, then so be it.

Dallas felt something heavy thwack against the back of his head. "Ack! Fuck!"

"You jerk!" Ellie screamed at him, barely heard over the explosion on the movie screen. She was standing a few feet away from him, legs apart, a few rocks in her hand. She had plucked them from the ground before scampering up the ladder to the roof of the concession stand, the first place she thought to look. She chucked another at him and it thwacked against his collarbone. "You asshole! You- you- you stupid, damn, dirty, hood!"

"Stop it." He growled, coming up and grabbing her before she could toss another one at his face. "What the hell is wrong with you?"

"What the hell is wrong with _you_?" Dropping the rocks, she slapped as hard as she could against his chest. It hardly moved him. "Seriously, Dallas! What is wrong with you!"

Dallas didn't answer. She wondered if he even had an answer anymore.

"Go back." He released her, scowling, and went back to his seat on the edge of the roof. She could see his hands move from his jacket pocket to his face, lighting another cigarette.

Ellie sat down beside him, jumping a little when Dallas stuck his arm out to hold her back from the building's edge.

"Don't sit so damn close!" He snapped, releasing her only when she scooted back a little.

Ellie bit her lip, felt her eyes begin to sting. She spent a moment trying to steel herself. She thought of the way Johnny looked before he'd been jumped, or the way Sylvia could tear down enemies with a single pointed word. If her friends could be tough, so could Ellie. She was going to toughen up.

Ellie pulled up her sweater sleeve over her palm and slid the material over Dally's neck, catching a few forgotten drops of coke.

"I didn't do anything while you were gone." She told him, "I don't know what you've heard, but I didn't do anything that I wouldn't do in front of you."

He didn't say anything, so she went on in a stronger tone, placing her hands back in her lap and turning towards the screen. "You left me to fend off my family and got yourself locked up. I waited two months for you to come back- I _would_ have waited longer too. But then you come home and act like I... I don't even _know-"_

"Ellie-"

"No, Dallas!" She cut him off, turning back to glare at him. "I let you stomp around town doing whatever you want, but you can't stand not knowing what I've been doing every second of every day?"

"Ellie-"

"-That's so freaking typical. I said I'd marry you, I told you I was in love with you, I let you- I let you- _you know_-"

"Are you pregnant?"

Ellie felt the rest of her speech die in her throat. Dallas had his head down, his cigarette burning, ash falling into his lap. His face was hidden, but the grate in his voice told her all she needed to know about his mood.

"Pregnant?" Ellie repeated. That's what had put him in a mood? That stupid rumor that she was pregnant? It had been floating around for a while, cemented with another rumor that she'd eloped with Johnny. She hadn't bothered to make any comments refuting it, feeling as if she would be leaving Sandy out to dry if she did. After a while she thought the rumor had died, but apparently it had made it's way to Dallas.

Another thought struck her. Dallas thought she was pregnant and his first reaction had been to fight with her? Over _everything_ but the problem at hand? He had accused her- lashed out at her for things he probably didn't even believe himself. She'd been _miserable_ because- because...

"I hate you." Ellie told him, standing up and dusting tar crumbs off the back of her skirt. "I really hate you, and this is over."

He already had his class ring, so she tore off the engagement ring from her finger and flung that at him as well. She felt oddly naked without them; the feeling made her hesitate for a second, long enough for Dallas to get up

"Are you?" He growled, "Are you fucking pregnant?"

"No!" She screamed, stepping back when Dallas tried to grab her arm. "I bet you're so relieved!"

"Stop," Dally followed her across the roof, finally catching Ellie before she could crouch for the ladder. His face was shadowed in darkness, the faded colors of the movie screen illuminating the edges of his silvery hair like a halo. He smelled of cigarettes and leather and when he leaned in to kiss her he tasted like coca-cola. Ellie whined and pounded on his chest but he put a hand on the back of her head, forcing her still. His fingers pressed against her jaw, prying her mouth open; his tongue slipped between her lips, hot and wet, and despite her anger, heat began to pool at her core. She started to cry, ashamed of herself.

Dallas pulled away, burying her face in his chest.

"Don't." He mumbled into her hair, gripping her tightly, "Don't."

Ellie pried him away, unable to speak without her words turning into sobs. She shook her head, swallowed thickly, and stepped onto the ladder. Dallas let her go, turning his back as he lit up another cigarette. She made it three-fourths of the way down before her foot slipped, surprising a gasp from her. She tumbled down the last few steps onto the hard ground, her back stinging and her ankle throbbing even worse. Dallas must have heard because he was coming down a second later, jumping the few feet she had felt with much more ease.

He crouched down and pressed a few fingers against her ankle, inciting a hiss.

"It could be sprained." Dallas sighed, threading an arm under her knees and the other against her back.

"No!" She complained as he picked her up, "Dallas, just put me down! Go away!"

He ignored her, stepping out into the alley. The crowd had lessened now. After the first movie most of the families with young children went home, leaving the teenagers. A quick glance at the front of the stand let them know Johnny and Ponyboy had wandered away.

"Put me down." Ellie demanded again, wiggling in his grip, "I'm serious! I just want to go home."

"You live ten blocks from here." Dallas snapped at her suddenly, readjusting so that she was flung over his shoulder. "I'm taking you to my house-"

"I don't want to go anywhere with you." She hissed back at him, trying in vain to give him a hard enough kick.

"Stop it. I'm taking you to my house. You can call Darry from there to come pick you up if you're so desperate to get away."

Ellie didn't say anything more on the way back to Buck's, a few blocks east. She doubted she'd be able to make it all the way home walking in the dark with a twisted ankle, but she wasn't sure she'd survive another minute with Dallas, either. She was terrified he'd think of something to say that would change her mind, and terrified he wouldn't say anything at all. Instead she focused on the night passing by them: the swoosh of passing cars, a cat crying in an alleyway, a crow circling overhead; Dally's thumping heartbeat against her ribs.

Buck's was empty when they arrived. It looked weird to see the bar without a single soul inside. Neither paid much mind as they went upstairs. Dallas dropped her softly onto the bed and slid into the bathroom without a word. He came back a few minutes later, without his coke-stained shirt and a wet mop of silvery hair.

"Dallas, I mean it." Ellie told him, still sitting where she had been placed. "I can't do this anymore. I'm done."

He lit another cigarette. She wanted to smack it away from his mouth.

"Are you even listening to me?" Ellie inquired when he didn't reply.

"I am." He grunted, sitting down beside her- close enough that their thighs touched. "I just think you're full of shit."

Ellie reared back a little to look at him, shock evident on her face. "Full of-" She scoffed, "Dallas, when you look back on this some day, I hope you realize that this whole thing was entirely your doing."

She tried to get up. Dallas shoved her down into the mattress so hard she fell on her back and bounced.

"Look," He growled, crouching above her. "I freaked out a little, alright? You don't need to be so dramatic."

Ellie stared up at him. "Freaked out a little? You went off the _edge_, Dallas! And that's not even why I'm so mad!"

"Then why the hell are you?"

"Because-!" Ellie had to choke down a scream of frustration. "You thought I was pregnant and-... and your first response was to find a reason to ditch me."

Dallas didn't say anything for a moment, staring down at her with a softening expression.

"That's not true."

"But it _is_." Ellie cried, trying again to push him away."It is, isn't it?"

He pushed up onto his haunches above her, careful to keep most of his weight off her legs. "I'm seventeen, Ellie. What the hell do you want from me?"

"Nothing." She wiped at her face, "Nothing. Just call Darry. I wanna go home."

She felt Dallas slide off the bed, but instead of going downstairs to use the phone he gripped the heels of her flats and pulled the from her feet. Ellie let out a short hiss from the movement on her ankle and shot up.

"Stop it!" She snapped, trying to scoot to the edge of the mattress and retrieve her shoes. Dallas took the pair and tossed them to the other side of the room by the door. Then he grabbed her by the back of her knees and pulled, throwing her onto her back.

"Dallas, I mean it." Ellie tried to swat his hands away, "I'm mad at you- I'm _worse_ than mad at you. I said stop!"

Dallas grabbed the waistband of her skirt and opened the zipper in one swift movement, expression unreadable. He shimmied the loosened fabric down her legs, then did the same with her tights.

"Stop it!" She began to scream, scratching at his arms, using her uninjured leg to back away. "Don't touch me!"

"Then you can boil to death in all those fucking clothes, for all I care!" He shouted back at her, his face a sudden burst of brazen anger. "You're the one always bitching about it being too hot in here!"

Ellie was confused. "I'm not sleeping here, Dallas. I want to go home."

"Too bad." He shrugged stiffly, turning around to shed his jeans.

She fumbled into the corner of the bed as he approached, watching every shift in his muscles as he slid into bed beside her. "You can't keep me here. I'm not your prisoner."

He turned over and shut his eyes. "Then start walkin'."

The first thing Ellie noticed when she woke up was that there was muffled music being played downstairs and a steady pounding on Dally's door. The second thing she noticed was the gentle rise and fall of his chest pressed against her back, his arm slung over the exposed section of her stomach, fingers brushed against her navel.

"Dal," She muttered sleepily, nudging her shoulder into his collarbone. "Buck."

He grunted.

"Buck's knocking, Dally."

Dallas groaned, turning over onto his back. He laid there for another minute before getting up and slipping his pants back on. Ellie remained half-asleep in bed.

"What the fuck do you want?" He asked his roommate through the door.

"You got visitors."

"Cops?"

"Friends, from what they say. One of them is that Cade kid."

This caught Ellie's attention. She pushed herself up into a sitting position as Dallas went downstairs, rubbing the sleep out of her eyes. She was just contemplating going down as well when Pony and Johnny stumbled into the room, one soaked to the bone and the other as green as lake water.

"You been drinking?" She inquired as they sat down on the edge of the bed.

"Worse." Ponyboy muttered lowly as he shed his sopping sweater and let it flop into the floor. Dallas tossed him a towel and went downstairs again. He threw it over his shoulders but it didn't do much for his shivering.

Neither of them turned around to look at her and she began to get a creepy feeling up her spine. "What is it?"

"Nothin'." Johnny answered, letting out a loud sigh. "I thought you two would be at home. I wouldn't have stayed out so late if I thought you two weren't there."

"What do you mean?" Ellie scooted to the edge of the bed and sat down beside Johnny. She grabbed his hand in her's. It was limp and freezing.

He pushed back a mop of chocolate hair from his forehead. "I didn't want to hear you two fightin' all night again, so I wanted to sleep outside."

"What's that got to do with Pony being all wet? Why're you acting like someone died."

"'Cause someone did." Dallas answered for them, coming back with something wrapped up in a shirt. He tossed Pony the shirt and passed a wad of cash and a gun into Johnny's lap. "Our Johnny stabbed a Soc."

Ellie stared at the pride in Dally's face, then to the gun in Johnny's lap, to the ashen expressions on the two boy's faces. "_What?_"

It felt like a joke, but the longer no one spoke, the quicker the walls seemed to be closing in on her.

"Oh God," She gasped. When she released Johnny's hand to cover her mouth if flopped listlessly onto the bed between them. "Oh God, Johnny, _no._"

"They were going to kill Pony." He whispered to the gun on his lap. "I wish I'd known you weren't home."

Ellie sprung from the bed, the fell back when her ankle threatened to collapse underneath her. "We need to call the police!"

"And snitch on them?" Dallas scoffed. "No, you two hop on the three-fifteen train to Windrixville .There's an old abandoned church on top of Jay mountain. You'll be alright there for a while. Grab some food in the morning as soon as the stores open, then keep hidden. I'll come up when the coast is clear."

"You think that's going to fix anything?" Ellie inquired, "A gun and a hideout? They need to go to the police and report it! They'll look guilty if they run!"

"They'll look guilty either way." Dallas countered, "They're greasers, Ellie, not exactly model kids. No one'll bat an eye if they get tossed in the slammer, innocent or not."

Ellie opened her mouth but was silenced when Johnny put a hand on her back.

"It's okay, Els." He promised her, "I'll take care of it, okay? Don't worry about us."

She felt helpless as Dallas lead the boys to the front door. It was only when she was back in bed did she realize she hadn't hugged them goodbye. She wished she had. More than anything she wished she could have hugged them one last time.

* * *

**What's a deadline? I knowww I'm late again! At least it was only by a day? Hardly?**

**Ugh. This whole chapter was one long fight. So exhausting. Plus the impending doom.**

**Any-hoo! Thank you mucho for the reviews! See ya'll next time!**


	43. Until We Bleed

43.

Dallas stared at the smooth, peach-toned plane of Ellie's exposed back. If he looked close enough he could spot a scar running over her left shoulder, so old and faded it was hardly there. He'd never thought about whether or not she had scars before. Never saw any. Never asked. Dallas wondered how she received it. He couldn't picture her being allowed to climb trees or play rough with other children.

He didn't have to look in a mirror to know his body looked quite different. He couldn't remember a time in his life where his skin was unbroken. From play or from his father or from his own stupid decisions. There was always some sort of gash or break or scrape. Ellie had an odd fascination with his scars, running her fingers along the worst of them, asking questions he often couldn't answer.

When Dallas stood the mattress bounced upward, free of his weight. He glanced one last time at Ellie to make sure she was still sound asleep before slipping downstairs.

"Took you long enough." Shepard yawned from the bar, sipping on a coke. "It's nearly noon. Had a good night?"

"Bad." Dallas replied with a deep sigh, stretching his arms over his head to help shake off the groggy feeling he had.

Tim grinned. "Girls, huh? No matter what side of the track they're on, they'll give you a headache just the same."

Dallas said nothing. He debated for a second on starting the morning with half a glass of whisky, but he was already feeling a little off and didn't want to worsen his state. Instead he gestured for Tim to follow him outside.

"You sure about this?" Shepard asked as the two men approached the shed. There was a section of freshly overturned earth off to the side. Dallas unlocked the large shed doors, shoved them open, and started pulling out dirt-coated duffle bags, dropping them at Shepard's feet.

He crouched down and pulled the zipper open. Dull metals shone in the light. He whistled. "Well, fuck me. That's a hell of a lot of guns."

Dallas dumped the last bag down, sweating a little now. He lit a cigarette. "Gimme a quote for all of 'em."

"All of 'em?" Tim scoffed, glancing up at his friend. "Hell, I hardly know what to do with _one_ bag. I can hand half of it around to the gang, but truthfully, some of 'em I barely trust with a blade."

"Sell it." Dallas grunted, leaning back against the wood frame of the shed. He watched Tim pull a glock out to examine.

"To who?"

"Brumlys, River Kings, I don't care as long as you pay me up front."

Tim straightened, gun clutched in his hand. Dallas realized too late that it might be loaded. The gang leader didn't do anything but stare at the bags, calculating.

"...I'll give ya' seven hundred for all of it."

Dallas nearly laughed. "Do I look like an idiot? A thousand is cheap enough."

"You do." Tim replied , crouching down again to unzip the rest of the bags. He tapped the barrel of the gun against his knee, thinking. "What's got you so eager to sell all of a sudden? Last time we talked about this you were still on the fence about it."

"I need the extra cash." Dallas shrugged.

"A thousand isn't 'extra cash', Dal." Shepard pointed out, tearing his gaze away from the guns to stare suspiciously at his friend. "You owe someone?"

"Naw."

Tim straightened, tucking a hand into his jean pocket. Dally gave him a look, warning him not to press further.

He shrugged, kicking the closest bag with the tip of his boot. "Eight-hundred or nothing."

"That's a fuckin' joke."

"They're hot." Tim pointed out.

"You ever own a gun that wasn't?"

Tim crossed the yard in three easy strides, plucking Dally's cigarette from his hand and taking long, deep drag. He blew the smoke out from his nose and mouth, resembling a dragon so much it spooked even Dallas.

"This isn't the kind of hot that means a few months in prison. This is the kind of hot that means _life_ in prison." Tim leaned back against the shed. "I know where you got this shit, Dal. Bumped into Slash a few weeks back. You get one drink in him and he doesn't shut up. Your girl know you're selling her old man's loot?"

Dallas looked over to the ramshackle dump that was both bar and home to him, up the dirty, rotting siding, over to the last window on the left- his bedroom window. He half expected to see Ellie's face peering back at him.

"Fine." He growled, "Eight-hundred, you bastard."

Eight hundred dollars was a slap in the face, but it was enough. Enough to pay some outstanding bills, for a car and a few other things...

Dallas followed Tim to his truck, letting loose a string of curses as the older man passed him a neat little envelope of eight hundred, already packaged and ready to go.

"I'm a damn chump." Dallas growled, "A fucking fool."

"That's right." Tim agreed, unable to hold back a smirk. "Help me lug them into the back, will ya'?"

Dallas spat once into the ground at Tim's feet, hitting his shoe. "That's for the fucking pregnancy scare."

He turned back to the house.

"I didn't lie completely." Tim chuckled after him, "Your girl is pregnant- just didn't say which one. You been over to Slash-J's yet?"

Ellie was still asleep when he came back into the room. She was on her side, facing away from him, her sweater pulled up to reveal her back. It was only nine; he didn't have to be at Buck's until twelve. Dallas crawled into bed slowly, careful not to wake her. Pulling the covers back up, he slipped a hand around her waist, up the valley of her chest, cupping a breast over her thin bra. He didn't squeeze- just held his hand there, feeling her pulse under his fingers, oddly comforted by it. He'd meant to go back to to sleep, but when Ellie woke a half-hour later, he was still wide awake.

"Dal?" Her voice was gravelly.

He grunted gently, letting Ellie twist around towards him, his hand falling to her back. She took a moment to adjust, rubbing sleep from the corners of her eyes, sighing great, hot breaths that fanned across his collarbone and twisted around his neck.

"We need to-..." Ellie tried to sit up but Dallas pinned her down easily. Her glare was half-hearted. "We need to talk to Darry. He'll know what to do better than any of us."

Dallas snorted. "Darry? Are you kidding? That guy doesn't have a clue when it comes to his own brother."

"That doesn't matter." Ellie wiggled, "Let me up, Dallas. I have to get dressed."

Reluctantly he slackened his grip, weary of her growing irritation.

"For what? You don't got nothing to do today." He laid back down, tucking an arm under his head. "You're not going to the Curtis', that's for damn sure."

Ellie plucked her skirt from the mess of clothes on the floor. She stopped to scowl at him, but Dally's focus was more on the underwear peaking out from under her sweater. He wondered how long it'd be before she'd let him touch her again.

"I am." She slapped his hand away when he tried to slide it along her bare leg. "They deserve to know their brother isn't dead in some ditch, Dal."

Dally captured her wrist, tugging her back down to bed despite her protests. Falling on her back, Ellie let him crawl between her legs, petting her thighs and stomach and breasts, bearing his affection like a cross. He kissed her, slipped a few fingers under the hem of her underwear. Maybe if he could get her in the mood...

She grabbed hold of his hand and pushed him away. Her anger had grown tenfold. "Is this all you ever think about? Your friends are in trouble, Dallas, and you're acting like it means nothing."

"You're right, Darry deserves to know." Dallas reared back on his haunches, Ellie's legs still propped around him. "But the minute they find out they're going to go hunting them down and the cops'll be right behind 'em. Johnny'll go to prison- or worse, get the chair. Pony'll get sent to a boy's home and so will Soda. You wanna be responsible for that? Be my guest. The fact is, there ain't nothing we can do to help them until things cool down. You think I don't care? I just don't stress out over shit I can't fix."

Ellie tore her glare away from him, defeated. She stared up at the ceiling, her nose beginning to redden, her eyes misty. "I want to go home."

Dallas swore he'd put a bullet in his brain if she started crying again.

"Fine." He snapped, standing. He grabbed his jacket off the back of the door and slid it on. When he turned back to Ellie, she was sitting on the edge of the bed, skirt on, looking at him. His temper flared. "You want to go home? Let's fucking go."

She followed him meekly down the stairs, the lightning in her eyes fading just as the ice in his was beginning to form. The bottom of Buck's convertible was slick with drying mud, layers of it caked on throughout the winter and spring. Buck loved his convertible- like he loved his bar- but he didn't take very much care of either things. The engine sputtered for a minute before roaring to life. Dallas drove fast, unable to handle the uneasy silence between them. She was anxious about the boys, but he had a feeling it was more than that as well. Every so often she would turn to look at him, hands threaded together on her lap, her shoulder stiff, brows low and furrowed. Dally's hands gripped the wheel tighter and put a little more weight on the pedal, anything not to snap at her again. Fighting didn't work; ignoring it and letting it her cool off didn't seem to work either; he didn't have any fucking idea how to make her happy anymore.

He had to slow to a crawl at the end of the street when two cop cars slid past them. Dallas kept his gaze forward, knowing it only brought trouble to look a pig in the eye, but Ellie watched them, unabashed, until they were in her driveway and the cops had turned the corner at the end of the block.

"They were looking at you." She told him, unfastening her seat belt.

Dallas shrugged. He'd gotten into a bit of trouble with Johnny before, so it wasn't out of the ordinary if he got a visit from the cops about his disappearance. All the boys would.

Dallas grabbed her wrist before she could escape the interior of Buck's Thunderbird. He caught her eye. "If the cops come to talk to you-"

"Don't say anything?" Ellie guessed, rolling her eyes. "I know _that_, Dallas."

"Right." He released her and waited until she shut the passenger door before switching into reverse. The car got about an inch out of the driveway before Ellie slapped a hand on the handle to stop him.

"Wait, Dal-" She seemed to want to say something else, but then she looked up across the street. "Darry's coming over."

The oldest Curtis looked like a charging bull, his anger shimmering just underneath the tightened cords of muscle. Dallas groaned, turning the engine off. He was hoping to avoid this.

"You seen Pony?" He asked Ellie before he was even on her property.

Ellie reared back a little, surprised and intimidated. "N-no, why?"

Darry narrowed his eyes at her. "Ellie-"

"She was with me all night." Dallas explained, rounding the side of the car. He'd forgotten how shitty a liar Ellie could be. "We haven't seen 'em since the Drive-in. What's happened?"

"He's missing." Darry growled, massaging his left shoulder, twisting his head, eyes darting up and down the road, no doubt praying to see the silhouette of his baby brother in the distance. "He and Johnny, they got into some kind of trouble. Stabbed a Soc and killed him."

Beside a stoic Dallas, Ellie gripped the side of the fence, her face cast down, and let out a noise that sounded both like a groan and a gasp. Lord came from around the house, smelling them, and went to press his nose against her white knuckles.

Darry shifted on his feet, jaw clenching. "You know something."

"Go home, Ellie." Dallas instructed, patting his jacket for his carton of cigarettes. He took a step towards Darry. "Let's go inside."

The men started towards the Curtis house, and when Dally turned his head to make sure Ellie had gotten into the house alright, he was only slightly surprised to see she was only a step behind them.

"I told you to go home."

Ellie slipped into the gap between, inching closer to Darry as she narrowed her silvery eyes at her boyfriend. "I tell you to do a lot of things but you never listen to _me_."

Soda was in the kitchen when they came in, rifling frantically through the contents of Pony's backpack, spewed over the breakfast table, looking for any clue as to where he'd think to hide. He was in his boxers and an old shirt, freshly woken, while his older brother was clad in work clothes. It was almost eight thirty by then; far past the time he was usually out the house. Soda looked up as the front door slammed behind them, pale and panicked.

"Have you seen them?" He let Ellie come over and run her hand over his back, soothingly, but his red-rimmed eyes were burning into Dally. "Do you know where he is, Dal? Is he okay?"

Dally could do nothing in that moment but glance around the room, trying to think of an answer that wouldn't tear into Darry's already paper thin, nerve-wracked temper or upset Soda further. Everything was the same as it always was. The old couches, the water stains in the shape of rings that dabbled the coffee table, the television with a dent on the side from when Two-Bit and Steve had been horsing around too much. If he didn't know better he could imagine Ponyboy was still holed up in his room, quiet as a mouse, sleeping or reading or working on homework.

"They're okay." Ellie answered instead, then, not quite sure what else she could say, she turned towards the cupboards. "Have you eaten yet? Are you hungry?"

"I'm not hungry." Darry grit out, speaking to her through the archway between kitchen and living room. "I want to know where my brother is."

Dally leaned up against the arm of the love seat, finding his cigarettes in his jacket and tapping one out. He lit up, took a drag, and offered it to Darry, who glared back at him. Dally's stomach sank. Darry, despite his stature, was usually the one out of all of them to keep a level head. That's why they respected him; that's what made him a leader. To see him stripped down by his own emotions was nothing less than disturbing.

"Gone." Dallas told him, "I sent him and Johnny out of town."

There was a ripple in Darry, red hot anger. "_Where?_"

"I don't know. Gave 'em fifty bucks and told 'em to get as far away as possible. They could be going down to Oklahoma city, or Wichita or Springfield."

But Darry saw the lie. Not in Dally's face, but in Ellie's. She had been staring at Dallas as he spoke, and had a made the fatal decision to glance at Darry for his reaction, only to find him looking right back. She tore her gaze away immediately, arms crossing over her chest, a portion of her bottom lip caught between her teeth.

"You know where he is." Darry stated, turning back to Dally. "You know where he is, and I'm going to find out."

"Yeah?" Dally, got up, itching for the door. "What'cha gonna do? Beat it outa' me?"

Darry didn't look as opposed to the idea as the younger man would like.

"Getting into a fight isn't going to solve anything." When no one responded to Ellie's words, she turned to Soda with hopeful doe-like eyes. "Right?"

The younger Curtis boy pulled away from her, grabbed his jacket from beside the front door and left.

The pit in Dally's stomach grew heavier. He gestured to Ellie. "Come on, let's go."

"You're not leaving until I find out where Pony is." Darry growled. Ellie paid him little attention, darting past his towering frame through the door in pursuit of Soda. Dallas held back a groan.

"He's fine, alright? Perfectly fine, maybe a little freaked out. In any case, Johnny's the one that's in trouble. He's the one that stabbed the kid." Dallas held up his nearly finished cigarette. "Are you gonna let through so I can snub this thing outside, or am I gonna have to extinguish it on the couch?"

After a moment of great reluctance, Darry took a step back, giving Dally a clear bath to the door. But before Dallas could make his escape, he felt a heavy hand on his shoulder.

"What happened, Dal?" Darry asked, his anger giving way to a certain kind of pain only a brother could feel at the slow loss of his baby brother and ward. Not only that, but he'd failed as a leader. He'd let his flock go wild into the night, and it has cost him two of their youngest. "This isn't like them. They're _good_ kids. I... I can't even picture it in my head."

"It's those fucking Socs." Dally shrugged, unable to look the man in the eye. There had been a time when he'd pushed and conspired to lessen Darry's role as leader. There were too many rules; too many morals and comradery. Now he wouldn't trade his lower position for the world. Dallas pointed through the window and into the street. "They won't get away with this, Darry, I can promise you that. No matter what happens to the boys, those Socs are going to fucking pay. A rumble's coming for them, Darry, a big one. Tim's in, the Brumley's are in... I don't know about you, but I'll be there."

Dallas headed to the door. Through the window on the front of it, and the sheerness of the screen door, he could see the outline of Soda and Ellie with their heads bent over something in Soda's hand.

"You're right." Darry said unexpectedly, unaware of the events going on at the end of the yard. "You're right. Enough is enough, and I ain't letting them roll over this family 'cause a few privileged shits are bored inside their shiny white castles."

Despite the current circumstances, Dallas felt a grin quirking at the corner of his mouth. It had been a long, long time since the boys hand rumbled together. The thought of it was energizing.

He clapped Darry's shoulder in a more subdued manner than what he was feeling before stepping out into the porch. Under the glare of the sun, he could see Soda down on the curb, his feet in the gutter, his head hung low between his legs. Ellie was standing above him in the street, clutching an open letter in her hand. Her brows were furrowed, her mouth quivering as she tried to say something.

"What's wrong?" Darry asked from behind Dallas, shoving past to get to his brother. "What's wrong, Soda?"

Soda was crying- _sobbing_. His hands clutched the curb, scratched and as white as snow. No one could see his face but underneath him the cement was speckled with black droplets, resembling the first trickles of rain.

"It's Sandy." Ellie explained softly. "She's gone... she's pregnant and she's... she left."

* * *

They didn't speak coming back to Ellie's house, but she didn't complain about the arm strung along her shoulders. Instead she nestled into his side, clutched the front of his shirt, unwilling to let go even when they were well into her bedroom.

He sat her down on the bed and crouched down in front of her, pulling off her kitten heels. The back of her feet were rough with blisters. Her fingers went quickly to the hem of his shirt, picking at a few loose threads.

"Why don't you take a shower?" He suggested, brushing his thumb along her ankle. When she didn't move or make any attempt to show she was hearing him, he went on. "Seriously, you're really starting to stink. Like sweat and stale liquor."

"That's the smell of your bedroom, you ass." Ellie retaliated, but when she finally looked into his eyes, there was something there that cemented the churning in his gut. Her hands slid across his collarbones, gripping collar of his jacket, rubbing the leather against the pads of her fingers. "Dally..."

He patted her leg and stood, pulling out of her reach. "Shower first. We can talk later."

Ellie looked at him a little longer, gauging him, his reaction. Then she stood and went to the washroom. A few minutes later the gentle hush of shower water enveloped the silence. Dallas sat down on the edge of the bed, wondering if he should go downstairs and check on the dogs, or wait up there, or just leave entirely. He felt awkward now, sitting in a bedroom he'd never been anything but comfortable in. There was a drawer of his clothes in the dresser, a belt on the surface, a comb and some grease by the vanity. They'd been treading on the line between living together and living apart. It would be a lie to say he'd never considered moving in with them. They needed the extra income, as unreliable as it was, and there was plenty of room. Dallas ran a hand through his hair, weary and frustrated.

"What's wrong?" Ellie asked, standing in the door frame, covered in a thick, fluffy towel that engulfed her figure. He hadn't heard the shower shut off, nor was he quite aware of how much time had passed.

Dallas took a deep breath and then released it with a groan. He stood up, patting the back of his jeans and then the pockets on his jacket, enclosing the two rings in his fist before setting it with a clang amongst her other jewellery atop the dresser. "Nothing. I gotta go to work. I'll see you around."

"Around?" Ellie repeated as he put a hand on her waist, steering her out of the way so he could get into the hall.

He glanced back at her. "If that's what you want, Princess."

Dallas got a quarter of the way down the hall before he could feel her grab hold of the back of his jacket.

"What's wrong with you?" She hissed, releasing him like the burn from a flame when he stopped and turned to her. "I- we were fine until- What's _wrong_ with you?"

"_You_!" Dallas snapped suddenly, riding on a sudden and incredible surge of frustration. "You! Stop fucking looking at me like that!"

"Like _what_?" She shouted back in the same tone. Beneath them they could hear one of the dogs scratching furiously on the backyard door.

"Like everything's different! Like we've changed now!" His fist darted towards her, not poised for a punch, but not quite to grab either. Ellie made the decision for him; little hands were suddenly tugging at his shirt, his jacket, the loops of his jeans, curling around the locks at the back of his head. Their mouths found each other, sloppy and rushed and frightful at first. Their teeth clacked, elbows and limbs clashing. Then just as suddenly they found their rhythm. Dallas shoved Ellie against the wall, relishing in the gasp that escaped her mouth and into his. His hand sought the softness of her chin, holding her in place, while his other slithered underneath her unraveling towel. Her abdomen constricted under his touch as he slid upward, grasping her breast and squeezing in just the way he knew would elicit a moan.

"The b-bed..." Ellie grabbed hold of his wrist as he inched downward between her legs, stopping him but not quite on time. Her head tipped back, chest pressed against him, mouth parting in both pleasure and surprise. A few moments later and she was moaning his name, her arms flung desperately around his neck, grinding against his hand. The towel was pooled at their feet at this point, damp and forgotten. Dallas withdrew from her, chuckling at her pout, and looped one arm behind her knees to pull her into his arms. He placed her on the bed, amused at the way she attempted to cover her nakedness from him.

"Stop it." Ellie whined, grabbing the edge of the duvet, ready to fling it over her. Dallas grinned, shedding his clothes until he was as naked as her, more proud than shy as her gaze roamed across his body, blushing but excited.

Dallas crawled on top of her, pushing her legs apart with his knee so he could position himself between. Ellie moved up on her elbows and he bent down to kiss her; first her cheeks and nose and chin before finally capturing her mouth.

"Dallas," Ellie sighed when they pulled apart, her palms on either side of his jaw, fingers entwined in his hair. She forced him to look at her. "Will you-..."

She faltered.

Dallas brushed chocolate hair from her forehead. "Anything."

He could feel her pressed against him now, so painfully close, yet not quite. He wanted to begin again- or to finish it, but he knew she wanted him to wait.

"I love you, you know?" Ellie told him, leaning up to give him a brief kiss.

Dallas hummed a note of understanding deep within his throat.

"I just..." She licked her lips. "I just want to know you feel the same."

He blinked at her, slightly confused, until it all suddenly clicked in his head. Love? She wanted to hear it out loud? Dallas opened his mouth, the words forming in his head, but when he spoke it didn't quite come out as he expected- in fact, nothing came out. He hovered over her, his mouth flapping like an idiotic fish.

Her face scrunched up in pain. "Oh..."

"I..." Dallas swallowed thickly. It wasn't that he didn't love her, and until now he was pretty sure he'd be able to say it out loud if he was forced to, but... Words meant nothing. Didn't she realize that? Ellie could say 'I love you' a thousand times a day, but it was the things she did that mattered. Cooking him breakfast, giving him free cokes at the diner, waiting two months for him to get out of prison. Those were _acts_ of love. That, he could do.

"N-no, it's okay." Ellie tightened her grip as Dallas tried to move away, sure that she was about to start shouting or crying or both. She looked helpless. "You don't have to say it, Dallas, really. Just don't go."

Dallas stilled. "Ellie-"

"Please," She wiggled underneath him, wrapping her legs around his waist. "Please don't go, please. _Please_."

Dallas leaned down and kissed her again, then flipped over onto the mattress beside her. He sighed.

"I'm sorry." Ellie mumbled. "I just... I don't want..."

He extended his arm and tucked it under her head. She immediately pressed her face against his chest, warm and slippery with tears.

"Don't be."

* * *

**Sorry for taking another week longer to update! The holidays didn't leave me much room to write. Thanks for your patience! Hope you liked this one!**

**Remember to review! Love ya'll!**


	44. The Times They Are A Changin'

44.

Ellie chewed on her lip. The oil was spitting up from the frying pan and drizzling onto her arms. She reached over and lowered the heat, still just getting used to the Curtis' stove. Their whole kitchen in fact. Soda usually liked taking over the cooking.

She wasn't too sure what she was doing there at all. There were a million things that she'd rather do: finishing her homework, walking her dogs, working. She loved the gang, but lately it felt like she was living in the middle of a war-zone. Everyone was quiet, serious... on edge. No one could go outside without getting jumped by a Soc, so everyone was always cooped up in groups of two or more. The streets were in chaos and the Dingo was like a headquarters for all gang meetings and shouting matches. Hatred between Socs and Greasers were at a peak, and everyone knew something big had to happen, sooner or later. Ellie didn't care. She just wanted the boys back. She wanted things to go back to normal. She wanted to be able to walk from school to work without being escorted by one of the gang.

Soda sighed from the breakfast table He was the only one in the kitchen- the rest were quietly watching the football game. The only noise that drifted through the open doorway was the gentle clink of beer bottles. Soda sighed again. He had his head down on the table, cushioned by his arm. Ellie shot him a brief glance, then turned back to the battered fish frying on the stove top. She scooped one into her spatula, double checked it;s golden hue, and then placed it on a plate lined with paper towel.

Soda sighed.

"Oh God." Ellie brushed a strand of hair away from her face and turned back to him. "Soda, you need to cheer up. You're starting to stress me so much I think I'll get gray hair."

"Sorry." Soda mumbled.

Now it was Ellie's turn to sigh. She lowered the heat dramatically, then went to sit by her friend. She petted his golden hair.

"You'll find another girl, Sodapop. And she'll be so wonderful and perfect for you that you won't even be able to recall Sandy's name."

"That's what everyone says." Soda lifted his had and rubbed his face. "Sounds like a load of shit to me."

Ellie smiled. "Only time will tell."

Soda returned her smile halfheartedly. Reaching over, he pulled at her necklace until it was un-tucked from under her blouse. Both of the rings, Dally's and the engagement ring, hung together on the thin chain.

"You still going with him, then?"

Ellie shrugged. "I love him, I guess."

Soda let the necklace fall back against her chest. "You think that sometimes love isn't enough?"

She wasn't quite sure what to say. She'd never seen him so rough.

Soda seemed to understand her silence.

"I'll be okay." He reassured her, stretching his arms out. "Once my baby brother comes back, I'll be okay."

Ellie stood. "Good. Come help me with this stupid fish before I catch fire and burn to death."

After the fish had been fried and the wedge fries baked, they called the boys in for dinner. Each took a plate and filled it up as much as they liked, then went back to the living to watch the end of the game. The breakfast table was too small for all of them.

Ellie curled up at the bottom of the sofa, leaning back against Dally's legs and placing her dinner on the coffee table in front of her.

Two-Bit was the first to speak above the announcers on television. He smacked his lips obnoxiously, chewed food easily spotted on his tongue. "Fish is gross."

She flicked a wedge at his face. "Don't eat then."

They fell into silence once more and the awkward, heavy feeling hardly shifted from above them. They picked at their food, watched television, too preoccupied with their own worries to concern themselves with others... it felt weird, like sitting in a room full of strangers.

Without Pony or Johnny, they were hardly a gang- just a group of kids tied together in their despair.

When she couldn't take it any longer, Ellie excused herself to the washroom. She turned the faucet on full blast, flipped the seat on the toilet so she could sit, and then pressed the side of her head against the wall. She'd cry if she could, but she'd been doing that for the past week and she was all out of tears by then. Instead she closed her eyes and relished the noise of the water rushing into the sink, the first real noise she'd heard all day.

Someone knocked on the door. It was a small washroom and she was able to reach over and unlock it.

"Come in."

Dallas slid inside, giving her a look when he saw her sitting on the toilet seat. "What the hell are you doing in here?"

Ellie hushed him. "Being sad."

"That's pretty clear." He squatted in front of her, "What's wrong?"

"Do you seriously have to ask that?" She snapped as quietly as her swelling emotions could allow, jabbing a finger towards the door. "Everyone's acting as if the boys are _dead_ and- and honestly, who knows? They could be. We haven't seen them in a week. You gave them a gun- how could you give them a _gun_?"

Dallas patted her thigh, unconcerned. "Relax."

"I won't _relax_." She kicked his shin and ignored the hiss he made. "If anything happens to those boys it'll be entirely your fault-"

"Okay," He grabbed her hands and held them tight. "You're starting to get a little crazy, Els- and annoying. It's not like I stabbed the Soc and blamed them, alright? So cool it."

Ellie felt her eyes begin to sting. It wasn't Dally's fault, she knew that, but the whole situation felt so out of hand and uncontrollable that it felt good to have someone to blame.

She looked up at Dally. He wasn't _really_ irritated with her. She wished he was. Things hadn't been... the same, lately. They both knew it. They both _hated_ it. Ellie thought things would get better on their own. She'd taken his rings back, tried to forget all the nonsense they'd put each other through for the last couple weeks, made an attempt to patch things up with him. But glancing down at their entwined hands, she had to wonder why his touch didn't make her shiver like it used to.

"I'll go see them tomorrow." Dallas promised, running his thumb over her knuckles. "I'll let Johnny know how torn up you are without him around."

Ellie squeezed his hand, her heart suddenly leaping- soaring! For a moment the weight on her shoulders lifted. "I'm coming with you!"

Dallas scowled. "No way in hell."

"Ellie, get the hell out of the car."

"No."

"Ellie," Dallas tried again, gripping the wheel of Buck's convertible so tightly the leather on it squealed. "If we get caught with 'em, they aren't just gonna give us a slap on the wrist."

She fingered the top button of her cardigan, pulling on a loose thread. "What looks worse, Dallas Winston driving out of town by himself to God knows where, or Dallas Winston taking his girlfriend out to the lake for a romantic date?"

He cussed driving all the way down the street.

Johnny was safe. The broad that lit up his face was enough for Ellie to be reassured of that.

"Els!" He shouted as she flung her arms around his neck, wrapping his own limbs around her waist and spinning her in their excitement.

Dallas came into the church after her, greeting Pony and tousling his newly golden hair.

"You look..." He couldn't hold back a snicker, "You look so fuckin' weird."

Ellie shushed Dally over her shoulder, her hand in Johnny's shortened locks. For the first time they could see the kid's eyebrows. "No you don't. You look... younger."

"Why're ya'll here?" Pony went on, "Is Soda alright? Are the cops still lookin' for us? What about Darry-"

"Relax, Pony," Dally gave him a pat on the back, exhausted by the sudden barrage of questions- all of which he didn't have a good answer for. "Let's go grab something to eat before we get into that, alright? I'm starving."

"Have you been eating?" Ellie questioned them, staring at the way their clothes seemed to hang off their thinning frames. They thought the gang back home had taken it hard, but it was Pony and Johnny that looked even worse for wear. They were pale and starved and Pony looked a little sick. Ellie shot Dallas another look, and he knew she wanted to take them home.

"I got a letter for you, Pony." Dallas remembered, pulling out a crumpled paper from his back pocket.

The kid looked startled. "From who?"

"The president." He rolled his eyes, "Soda, of course. Shit, your brothers are real worried about you- the whole gang's been torn up, really."

Pony read the letter as they walked to the car. His hands were trembling as he held the thin little sheet, his mouth moving with each word. The letter was short but he read it over and over until they were sitting in the car.

Dallas drove slower coming up to the church with only Ellie in the car, but with the boys he didn't bother to lighten his foot on the gas. They tore down Jay's mountain, swinging on two wheels down sharp corners and nearly tipping Buck's T-bird over into the ditch. Ellie didn't say anything, but she was clutching the side of the door with one hand and Johnny's hand in the other. Even the boys looked a little freaked, but Dallas didn't feel like caring today. He was tired of tip-toeing around, worried about Ellie, worried about the cops, worried about everything. Right then he just wanted to feel something more than exhaustion.

"How's things back home?" Johnny asked her in the parking lot of a Dairy Queen. The boys had stuffed themselves on burgers and ice cream, acting like it was the first meal they'd had in years and the last meal they'd _ever _have again. Ellie watched them, half-disgusted as they chewed on their fifth and sixth burger.

"Not great." Ellie admitted.

Dallas nodded. "You two started a war that night, that's for sure. That kid you killed sure has a hell of a lot of friends. Walking alone is just about a death sentence now."

Johnny paled visibly at the mention of the boy he'd stabbed. He looked down at his barbecue burger, his apatite suddenly gone.

"I even started carrying a heater." Dallas added after a bite of his own sandwich.

This, Ellie had no idea about. Her brows furrowed, her mouth falling open. "What? Since _when_?"

Pony was equally appalled. "Guns kill people, Dallas."

"Where the heck did you even get a gun?" Ellie asked, grabbing the back of his seat as she pulled her self up into the front of the car to face him properly. She was struck by his guilty expression. "Dallas, you _didn't_."

"You-" She swallowed the curse in her throat and crawled over the side of the convertible, jumping out.

"Hey," Dallas twisted around, scowling. "Where the hell do you think you're goin?"

"Away from you!" She snapped, jabbing her finger to the string of stores along the road.

Pony glanced frantically from his burger to Ellie as she stormed down the street, then made up his mind. He hopped out of the passenger seat and chased after her.

"Hey!" Both Dallas and Johnny called after him.

"Awe fuck." Dallas ran a hand through his hair, watching them hurry into a little stationary store. "Damn, they'll be fine, I guess. Pony doesn't look anything like his old self, anyway."

Johnny gathered the rest of his food and jumped into the vacant passenger seat. "You two still fighting?"

He shrugged. "Who knows? She gets mad at me for everything these days, but it's not like I'm making things easy either. Honestly, Johnny, everything has been well and truly fucked since you boys have been gone. Seeing you is the happiest she's been in a while."

Johnny nodded, staring off down the road like he was expecting to see them come out any second. When he turned back to Dallas he had tears falling down his hollowed cheeks. "I'm gonna miss her... I'm going to miss the whole gang."

"Shit, Johnnycake..." Dally reached over and gripped his shoulder, shaking him a little to snap him out of it. "Don't freak out, alright? Things are bad, but you'll be home before you know it."

Johnny scrubbed at his face. When he spoke he was sullen but serious. "I don't think so Dal... I'm... I think you 'ought to take Ponyboy home with you. Bringing him along in the first place was stupid. He's just a kid. He can't come running around with me, you know? Not Ponyboy. He's got too much going on back home."

He was rambling and scared and freaking out, but Dallas didn't know what he could say to make him relax. The truth was, Ponyboy should come home with them. He was just a kid- a _child_. He wasn't built for a life on the run. But neither was Johnny.

"I'm gunna keep going." Johnny went on, squaring his shoulders, summoning strength. "I- I gotta admit, I kind of want Ellie to come with me..."

He looked up at Dallas sheepishly. "I mean, I know she can't... but I wish she could."

Dallas looked back down the road, then back at his friend.

"You know if you asked her she'd say yes." Dallas admitted, pushing back the lump in his throat. He wasn't mad at Johnny... just... annoyed that he had a stronger hold on Ellie than he did.

Johnny took a deep, long breath, like he was letting go of all the troubles that followed him, of Ellie, of the gang, of Tulsa. "You better treat her right, Dallas, or I'll come and take her from ya'."

They watched Ellie and Ponyboy coming back. Pony was clutching a pen and paper, probably looking to write a letter home.

"Our faces were plastered on the store window." He told Johnny, leaning up against the side of the car. "At least they used a good photo."

Dallas started up the engine. "Get in. We're goin'."

The two of them crawling inside the cab, silent in the face of Dally's growing temper. They turned onto the main road, cruising through the center of the little town so that they could turn around at the end and go back the way they came. Pony was right; their photos could be spotted sporadically on store fronts and old, soggy newspapers forgotten in the gutter. It wasn't enough to feel like they were being actively hunted, but it made them anxious all the same.

"Pony..." Johnny scratched at his shortened hair, rubbing the ends between his fingers. "Pony, I think you 'ought to go home."

Ponyboy looked up from his letter, confused. "What? What about you?"

"I-I'm-" He twisted around in the passenger seat, grimacing, a dull, fearful look in his eyes.

"You're coming home too." Ellie told him strictly.

Dallas turned sharply and suddenly, rocking them all to the right. "So he can get arrested? Get thrown into jail or put in the chair to die? That's what you want?"

"Of course not!" She snapped back at him, "But do you really think he's going to avoid the law for the rest of his life? Johnny, you can't run from the inevitable. You might as well just get it over with."

Johnny let out a moan, pulling at the ends of his hair again. "I just-"

"You don't understand it, Ellie." Dallas continued, "You never been to fucking jail. You don't know what it's like in there. Even if he manages to avoid the chair, he'll be locked up for _years_. You don't get it- he won't be the same when he comes out." He ran his hand through his own white-blond locks. "It fucks you up in there."

The three were quiet, soaking in the weight of his words. Dallas never talked about prison unless it was to brag. None of them _did_ know what it was like in there- the only thing they'd ever been caught at warranted nothing more than a call to the parents. They didn't have a record or had ever visited the drunk-tank. Johnny knew prison was rough, but he hadn't realized just _how bad_.

"I don't know." He admitted, turning back around and squeezing his eyes shut. "I just don't know what the hell to do."

Dallas slammed on the breaks suddenly. "Jesus."

A thick, crackling cloud of smoke was pluming from the windows and roof of the church.

"Shit." Johnny swore, following Pony as they jumped out of the car.

Dallas tried to catch the back of his jacket but missed. "Where the hell do you think you're goin'?"

"To check it out." Pony answered quickly, leading the way up the hill towards the burning church.

"Don't get too close!" Ellie yelled after them, waiting for Dallas to park the car on the side of the road.

He slipped out of the car and turned his glare on her. "Stay. Here."

Ellie rolled her eyes, opening her mouth to argue. Then she saw Pony and Johnny dart into the entrance of the church, swallowed by a cave of flames. She shot up and jabbed her finger towards it. "Dallas! They went in!"

He turned around to look up the hill, noting that the two boys were no longer apart of the crowd gathered a few yards away. He swore, sprinting up the hill to get to the church. Ellie jumped over the side of the car and followed suit.

"Where are they?" Dallas gasped at a man standing with a woman and a handful of children.

He was ashen, his hands shaking as he gestured to the church. "They went in for the kids."

"Fuck!" He swore louder, unaware as Ellie clamored past the crowd to an open window on the side.

"Johnny!" She screamed, "Ponyboy!"

When Dallas got to her, she was grasping at a boy around eight around his waist, pulling him through the window and into the grass. There were another two children crying at her feet, dirty with soot and choking on the smoke. He grabbed them by the scruff of their shirts and pulled them further away into a patch of long grass, where the woman was able to fuss over them in safety. Then he went back and helped Ellie haul the children out, trying to ignore the flames that licked at his exposed skin and threatened to engulf his friends inside. Then suddenly the roof gave a loud moan and half of the front corner began to cave in.

"Get out!" Ellie shrieked, grabbing Ponyboy's arm through the window. "The roof's about to collapse!"

"Go!" Johnny commanded from within, and Pony hiked up on the ledge and was dragged out by Dallas.

There was another loud noise, a high whine and then a boom.

"Johnny!" Ellie pitched herself against the window, reaching inward, half her torso in flames, and Dallas felt his heart skip a beat. He wrenched her back so hard a piece of glass caught her side. She screamed, latched onto something, resisting.

"Johnny!"

The roof gave one last moan and then fell.

* * *

**Hey, sorry this took so long. I won't lie to you guys, I'm struggling to find the inspiration to continue this. We're so close though, right? It's just tougher for me, but I'm trying. I have everything plotted out, just need to write it out.**


	45. Stop The Dams

45.

Ellie woke to the smell of bleach and iron. It was a struggle to open her eyes, crusted shut from disuse, but the steady beeping echoing off the shallow walls was familiar enough. She was in a hospital room.

"Excuse me," A woman was saying a little ways away, "you can't go in there, sir."

She was pinned down to a bed by a series of tubes and needles, an oxygen mask strapped across her face. Ellie lifted her head up a little, squinting to make out the shapes moving in the corner of the brightly lit hospital room. Her body protested even the slightest movement, feeling weak and cold and achy.

"Beat it, broad." The distinct snap of Dally's voice set Ellie's heart pounding despite the harshness of his words.

She called his name tentatively, rubbing her eyes in an attempt to adjust quicker to the light. She pulled the mask from her face but was too scared to tug out the IV attached to her wrist. Dally's hand brushed against hers, his weight pressing down on the mattress by her hip.

"Sir," The woman, a nurse, Ellie identified once the brightness faded. " Sir, you need to get back to your own room."

Dallas shrugged the nurses hand from his shoulder. He was wearing only his jeans, unbuttoned and slung low enough on his hips to reveal the top of his underwear. He looked no worse for wear besides the bandage around one hand and a bit of singed hair around his ear.

"I aint going anywhere." He growled.

"It's fine," Ellie interrupted, a little shocked by the roughness of her voice. "I want him to stay."

The nurse didn't look convinced. "You need to rest, sweetie, and so does he. You've been through a lot."

"I'm her fiance," Dallas countered quickly, "I got a damn right to see she's alright."

The nurse's lips formed a tight line. "I'm grabbing the doctor. You have until the time he gets here to see each other."

Dallas didn't bother to wait until the nurse was through the door before his broad hands were tangled through her hair, cupping the back of her neck, and their dry, cracked lips were crushed against each other. Instinctively she tried to put her arms around his neck, but a sudden, sharp pain on her abdomen and arms stopped her.

"Ah," Ellie pulled away, taking in the state of her body for the first time. Her arms were bandaged, one from the hand to elbow and the other wrapping a few inches up from her wrist. Her skin felt right underneath, but it was her abdomen that throbbed. Dallas helped her pull back the side of her hospital gown, examining the massive patch of gauze just above her bellybutton.

"Thought you were gonna bleed out." Dallas explained as she pealed back a corner and saw stitches underneath. His hand fell to the small of her back, rubbing circles into her skin. A chuckle bubbled from his throat, but when she looked up he was wincing. "Jesus Els. I thought you were gonna die."

His head dropped onto her shoulder, his arms wrapped loosely around her waist. Ellie pressed the side of her cheek into his silvery hair, breathing in his scent. After all the things they'd been fighting so adamantly about for so long, she could hardly grasp the idea of hating him now- of leaving him or letting him leave her. She kissed his hair. How could everything fall back into place just as it was falling apart?

"Next time I tell you to stay in the car," He snapped into her skin, "you stay in the damn car."

Ellie smiled. "Okay, Dal, I promise."

He was silent for another minute. "You think you're feeling well enough for a little hospital fornication?"

"Oh, God," She pinched his side. "Shut up, you dog."

"Im glad to see that you're up and about, Winston, though I was hoping not to see you again since your last incident." A doctor stepped into the room, followed quickly by the nurse. "Have you moved on from harassing the nurses to harassing fellow patients?"

"Believe it or not, doc," Dallas said, straightening out. "This girl's gonna marry me."

The man pulled out a clipboard attached to the foot of Ellie's bed and reviewed it. "Then it seems we've overlooked some sort of concussion. Ms. Carter, you've been through quite a lot. A second degree burn on your right arm and a first degree burn on your left, and a large cut caused by glass, as well as slight first degree burns on your torso. Are you feeling any pain?"

"Not a lot." Ellie admitted, recalling for the first time the events of yesterday. How could she have forgotten? How could it have slipped her mind? "Johnny and Pony? Are they okay?"

"Theyre okay." Dallas answered before the doctor could. "Ponyboy went home today. Lucky bastard hardly has a scratch on him."

"And Johnny?"

"He's here in the hospital." Ellie felt Dally's hand seek out her's. "He's got burns like us and... and a few broken bones."

Ellie's heart began to pound. Something in the way the doctor and nurse were looking at them suggested there was something being hidden from her. "He's okay?" She asked, "He'll be okay?"

"Ms. Carter, right now it's best you worry about your own well-being. We've contacted your mother and she's on her way back into town as we speak. Hopefully by the time she's back, you'll be strong enough to go home." The doctor stuck the clipboard back on the end of the bed and gestured to the nurse. "Re-wrap her bandages before you go on break please, nurse."

The doctor left first.

"Listen," the woman wagged her finger at Dallas. "I'm going to grab fresh gauze. You better be back in your room by the time i'm back, or you'll be escorted there by security."

"Yes, ma'am." Dallas answered mockingly.

As soon as she was gone, Ellie grabbed his forearm and forced him to look at her.

"Johnny," She insisted, "I want to see Johnny."

* * *

"You got a little less than ten minutes." Dallas told her as they hurried down the hall. It was getting late, and there were a few less nurses and doctors on the floor, but not enough to get them through without being seen. Ellie had to crouch a little to keep the stitches in her stomach from pulling, but the pain fell to the back of her mind as he lead her through a set of open doors, a plaque above reading 'Critical Care Unit'.

"Critical care?" Ellie said out loud, "you said he was okay!"

Dallas readjusted his grip around her and lead her further down until they were in a small waiting room. She immediately spotted the back of Two-Bit's rust-red head, but Pony's cropped, blond locks gave her a short pause. They were talking to the same doctor Ellie and Dallas was speaking to only minutes earlier.

"Well, if it ain't our favourite heroine of the hour." Two-Bit grinned, pulling her into an embrace that was just a little too rough.

"You're okay?" Ponyboy asked her as he gave her a much gentler hug. "Me, Soda, and Darry came to see you but you were out cold."

"I'm fine." She insisted.

Pony ran a hand through his new hair like he was over-aware of the difference it made in him. "You didn't look fine back at the church. You were bleeding all over the grass. First time I saw Dal-"

"Hey doc," Dallas interrupted, turning back to the man standing politely to the side, waiting for them to finish. "She wants to see Johnny."

The man hesitated, opened his mouth to protest, glanced down at his clipboard, then back at their hopeful faces. "Alright," He conceded. "He's been asking for you."

He called over another nurse and told her to lead them to Johnny's room.

"Five minutes and then you're going back to your room, Ms. Carter- and you as well, Mr. Winston! Different rooms!" He called after them.

The further down the ball they went, the quieter it got. The four of them ghosted down the hall, somehow feeling as if the smallest of noises could trigger a death in one of the patients hidden inside the rooms. Johnny was alone, despite the three other unoccupied beds. Ellie wasn't sure if this was a good or bad omen.

Johnny looked as if he was sleeping, but as they walked closer the grimace on his face became clearer. His arms and chest was wrapped in bandages like the ones on Ellie's arms, and his silhouette underneath the blankets was double his usual size, suggesting more wrappings underneath.

Beside her, Dallas swore under his breath.

"Hey." Johnny cracked his eyes open and tried to smile at them as they came to stand around his bed.

"So he talks." The nurse commented with her own gentle smile.

Ellie found his hand on the bed and gave it a squeeze. He strained to return the gesture.

"How are you feeling, Johnnycake?" She whispered, "Are they treating you well?"

"Alright..." He answered, stopping to clear his throat before adding, "Don't let me put enough grease in my hair, though."

Ellie wanted to feel a little of the weight fall off her shoulders at his attempt at good humour, but she couldn't stop looking at the bandages covering him, or the way his brows were screwed up in pain. It ate up her whole mind, sucked at all her attention, and the rest felt hazy and numb. A swear bubbled up at her throat, her eyes stinging, but she felt pressure on her thigh, Dally's hand, warning her to keep it in. Johnny didn't need to see her crying over him; it would only add to his condition.

"I think you'll survive without it for now." She told him instead.

"A Greaser without grease?" Two-Bit shook his head, "We'll find a way to sneak some in for ya', Johnnycake, don't you worry."

There was a pause where no one knew quite what to say. It seemed taboo to mention Johnny's precarious health.

Pony sat down on the bed by the kid's feet, fiddling with the button on his shirt. "You know, we're in the newspaper. They got some pretty decent pictures of us too. They're calling us heroes for saving those kids."

"Heroes?" Dallas snorted, "We 'ought to have let those idiots burn to a crisp."

Ellie swatted his hand. "They were children, Dally. Pony and Johnny did a really brave thing going in after them."

"So?" He argued, "What did we get for it? We looked like we laid down on a grill."

She shook her head, opening her mouth for another rebuttal, but stopped short as Johnny squeezed her hand.

"Enough," He insisted, "We went in and got those kids out. There's nothing that can change that. Even if it happened again, I don't think I'd do much different."

Ellie thought of what she saw through the church window- of the raging fire and smoke, and Johnny's open, terrified expression as they clung to each other's hand. She'd watched as the beam fell on him, felt the jerk of his fingers nearly slipping out of her grip under the sudden weight, the glass carving into her abdomen, his screams and her screams and even Dallas, trying to pull her away. She was so sure right then that they'd die together.

Ellie ducked her head down and away, hiding the first trickle of tears from her friends.

Johnny coughed again. "Pony, that book… you think you could get another one?"

Their gazes fell to the youngest.

"He means _Gone With the Wind_." Pony explained quickly, "We read some of it up at the church."

"I'll run down and see if they got it at the gift shop." Two-Bit offered, reaching over to ruffle Johnny's hair before he started towards the door.

"I'll come." Dally said, thwacking the side of Johnny's thigh in his own way of goodbye, then offering a sheepish, apologetic grin when he winced. "Gonna see if I can smuggle some smokes up here. You want a pack, kiddo?"

Johnny looked down at his bandages. "Nah, I think I'll stay away from anything that burns for a while."

The boys left, leaving only Pony and Ellie.

"I think we're both going to have to repeat our grades." Pony sighed, "but at least Two-Bit will, too. Maybe we'll end up in the same classes next ye- Jesus, Johnny, you alright?"

He's gone deathly white, his eyes screwed up in pain, his fingers squeezing Ellie's so tight she thought he might break her hand.

"I'll call a nurse." She gasped, shooting up.

Johnny kept hold of her. "No, its alright, really. Sometimes it hurts, that's all. I… uh… I can't feel too much in my legs."

"It's the drugs they've got you on." Ellie answered quickly.

"I don't know…" he slid down a little in his bed. His pillow was so big and fluffy it nearly engulfed his head. He was so small- just a child himself. "I'm pretty bad off, ain't I?"

"What're you talking about?" She gestured to her own bandages. "I'm worse off than you are and you don't hear me complaining, do ya'? You're going to do just fine, okay? You'll be doing cartwheels in a month or two."

He didn't look convinced. Neither did Pony, and his fake, cheerful tone did little to hide it.

"She's right," he added, "you'll be okay. You gotta be. We couldn't get along without you."

It was true. Being without him for a week was unsettling at best, but to wake up one day knowing she'd never see him cooking breakfast in the kitchen, hair a mess, skin glowing in the morning sun, that small but relaxed grin that he'd always have before they stepped outside of the house for school or work…

Ellie reached up and brushed a few stray locks away from his dampened forehead, sighing again at the state of him.

His eyes opened, and they were filled with tears. "You wanna know something? I'm scared stiff. I used to talk about killing myself."

Ellie couldn't take it anymore. She let out a sob and bent down to burrow her face in his chest. It must have hurt because he let out a groan, but his hand went to her head regardless, fingers threading through her hair like he was desperate to hold on. "I don't wanna die now. It ain't long enough. Sixteen years ain't long enough. I wouldn't mind so much if there wasn't so much stuff I hadn't done yet and so many things I ain't seen. It's not fair."

"You ain't gonna die." Pony snapped at him, struggling not to hold back his own emotions.

Johnny swiped at his tears with the bandage around his forearm. "Even if I live, my legs are too smashed up. I'll be a cripple."

"So what?" Ellie managed to find her voice, propping her head up to stare determinedly at him through her wet, reddening eyes. "I'll take care of you! Walking or not, I don't care, and when were both better we'll go wherever you like. I'll sell- I'll sell all those bags and we can use the money to go someplace."

"Ellie's right." Pony stood up, and for a second he resembled his oldest brother in the way he held himself and spoke. "Now you stop working yourself up, or they won't let us back in again to see ya'."

The nurse stuck her head in through the doorway, reluctant to interrupt. "Your mother's here to visit."

Johnny blinked, surprised, then bitter. "I don't wanna see her."

"She's your family, sweetie." The nurse reminded him.

Johnny's jaw clenched, like he was in pain, but there was nothing but resolve in his chocolate eyes. "The only family I got is in this room right now."

Then his face screwed up and he clutched at the sheets before relaxing all over. Ellie shot up, afraid he had died, but the monitor by his bed kept beeping, and his chest was slowly rising under the gentle weight of her hand on his chest.

"He's gone and knocked himself out cold." The nurse sighed, hustling to Johnny's side, ushering them away. "Alright now, that's enough excitement. Mrs. Carter, I think it's time you headed back to your room. We need to change those bandages."

The nurse tucked Johnny in before escorting them out of the room and back to the waiting room. Johnny's mother, a woman Ellie had never met but could recognize instantly by her features, was standing by the entrance, a heeled foot tapping impatiently against the clean floor.

"He's requested not to see you, ma'am." The nurse explained to her just as Two-Bit and Dallas came back. She turned to them. "He's not well enough for any more visiting today."

"Give him this, then." Two-Bit offered up a new paperback book of Gone with The Wind. "He wanted to read it. Make sure he gets it."

The nurse nodded sincerely and tucked it under her arm.

"Excuse me," Mrs. Cade interrupted, "That's my son in there. After all I've done to raise him, I have certain rights!"

"Raise him?" Dallas snorted, "I bet you didn't even notice-"

Ellie grabbed his hand, squeezing it tight, pulling him along. "Come on, all of you. She isn't worth it."

Dallas resisted for a moment, then realized there was little he wanted to communicate to the women that didn't involve his fist. Nodding, let her lead them out of the critical-care unit.

* * *

**Lol, long time no update! Is it too late to say I'm sorry? Anyway, I'll update asap!**


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